


Nick and Adalind's first year in the Fome

by grimmswan



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, kidnapping in chapter 20, mild depictions of violence in chapter 20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-09 20:25:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 37,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13489095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grimmswan/pseuds/grimmswan
Summary: An alternate version of season five and six. Multi chapter fic. Slow Burn.





	1. Chapter 1

Adalind pressed her legs together, for the first time regretting asking Nick to sleep beside her. Did the man have to smell so good? And how does someone look sexy while sleeping.

Eight weeks after having Kelly, Adalind's body was now craving sex. And craving it bad.

She tried to ignore it, she really did, but it just wasn't going away. The terrible craving had been increasing throughout the day, getting at its worst whenever Nick came close.

Adalind buried her face into her pillow and slipped her hand in her sleep pants. She applied pressure on her clit, then pinched the little bud between her fingers, wishing it was Nick touching her.

Suddenly she felt arms wrap around her. One hand went into her sleep pants while the other pushed up her shirt and squeezed her breast, fingers sliding over the nipple.

Nick's thumb stoked her clit while his fingers rubbed heavily over her entrance.

Adalind gasped and arched into his touch. She whimpered softly as a sweet wave of bliss rippled through her.

The sound of a baby crying pulled Adalind quickly awake.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself after that strange(erotic)dream, Adalind quickly got up and took care of her infant son.

She did her best to not think about the man still lying in bed, and didn't notice Nick drift awake. From the bed he watched her tend to their son. It was hard to remember all the bad she had caused in his life when she looked and sounded like an angel as she sang to soothe Kelly.

She turned and saw him watching her. "Did I wake you?"

Nick shook his head, got up and moved to her and Kelly. He cupped his son's head, which was so tiny it could fit in the palm of his hand. Nick placed gave Kelly a gentle kiss and said to Adalind, "Needed to get up and get ready for work, but your voice is much nicer to wake up to than my phone's alarm."

Nick made his way to the shower. Never noticing the slight blush that spread on Adalind's cheeks.

As he was standing under the hot water, thoughts of her crept in. Her voice. Her face. The way she smiled at him. A real smile. And she looked at him like he was her protector. The one person she could rely on.

Male ego being what it was, Nick had to admit to himself he felt both humbled and proud to know Adalind felt she could depend on him.

And she was so beautiful. There was no denying it. Motherhood only increased her beauty, in Nick's eyes.

A part of him wanted to hold her, to make a claim on her, let her know that she was his now, and no one else could have her. His member ached to be touched. Needed attention. He took himself in hand and rubbed furiously, coming hard with the image of Adalind smiling at him in his head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing. Not a single thing. This chapter has a part of a song in it. I do not own that song. Are we clear. Good. Adalind is in the bathtub and Nick gets home early. No smut happens in this chapter.

It had been one of the coldest days on record. The upside was that criminals found it unbearable to venture out and do anything illegal, allowing Nick and Hank to stay at their desks all day and finish any paperwork they had been running behind on and then head home little early.  
“You want to grab a drink?” Hank offered. Figuring his partner would want some excuse to avoid any awkwardness at his house.  
But, to his surprise, Nick declined.  
“I don’t think so. Adalind might be needing help with Kelly and getting dinner ready.”  
“Everything going ok?” Hank asked with genuine curiosity and concern.  
“As ok as can be expected. Adalind and I are getting to know each other while taking care of our newborn son. So, you know.”  
“Are you guys getting along?”  
“Turns out, now that we’re no longer on opposite sides, we found out we have a lot in common, and can get along pretty well. As strange as that seems.”  
“Sounds pretty weird to me partner. But, I guess for your son’s sake, it’s a good thing.” Hank offered.  
Nick nodded his agreement, said a “See you tomorrow.” Then headed out the door and to his home with Adalind and their son.  
On the drive there, he couldn’t help but think how odd it really was. Not that long ago, he had been hoping for a life with Juliet. Now, that whole dream was gone. Juliet was gone from his life. The woman he once loved with all of his being had changed, chosen to embrace power. She tried to kill his friends. She even wanted to kill his yet to be born child and had burned down the trailer. The trailer that had held his family's legacy.  
Then she had a hand in killing his mother.  
Whatever life he and Juliet had created together was now nothing but ash and dust.  
Nick was starting on a new life now. He had a new dream now.  
He knew Hank had tried to offer him an excuse to delay heading home. Knew Hank thought he had been helping. And if Nick had been going to an empty house, he may have taken his partner up on the offer.   
But the house wasn’t empty. It held his sweet baby boy. Nick really didn’t want to delay getting home to his son. And in truth, Nick would admit he wanted to spend some time with Adalind.  
Now that she was no longer trying to ruin his life, he found her to be a wonderful person to be around.  
Nick chuckled to himself. She probably thought the same thing about him.  
He knew they needed to get along for their son’s sake. It would be great if they were able to be friends.  
A voice deep inside him whispered. A voice that Nick had always listened to before, but in that moment chose to ignore. A voice that came from the primal instincts of a grimm. A voice that always told him the nature of any being he looked at. That voice said that Adalind was bound to become more than just a friend.  
There was no point in listening to that voice right now. Too much needed to be learned and too much needed to be done before romance was even considered.  
“Besides,” Nick told himself. “It’s not like Adalind would even be interested in romance right now.”  
Adalind tested the water of the bath. She figured she had a couple of hours before Nick got home and decided to take away the chill of the day with a soak.  
She cradled Kelly against her chest and slid into the tub. Sighing with relief as the hot water soothed away all of her tension.  
As she layed in the bath, stroking her fingers over her son’s skin, her mind drifted to his father.  
Nick had been amazing through everything. He was always there. Whenever she needed him. Sometimes without her even having to ask. SHe hadn’t expected him to be so wonderful, which made it all even better.  
From the very moment she had told him she was pregnant with his baby, Nick had been her hero.   
Protecting her from Juliet.  
Finding her a safe place to stay.  
Being there when their son was born.  
And then ensuring that the three of them moved to a place that was even safer. If not as cozy as a normal house.  
But for now, safety was most important. Adalind understood that, and she was beyond grateful to and for Nick. He treated her with kindness and compassion. Made her feel like there was no request or confession that she would make, that he would judge or deny.  
It was how she had gotten up the courage to ask him to sleep beside her. She had felt so afraid. And she had felt a little lonely. Vulnerable.  
Nick made her feel safe. He made her feel protected. He never made her feel like she was wasting his time, or bothering him.  
Again and again Nick showed her he was a good man.  
Adalind wished she had seen it before. She had done so much bad for bad men. And she had done it to a truly good man.  
She vowed to herself that she would never be that person again. That monster that had caused chaos.  
Her children deserved a good mother. Even if she didn’t know where her daughter was, Adalind knew she would one day be reunited with Diana. She would have both of her children with her, someday.  
Nick deserved the better version of her, too. He deserved to be shown how much she appreciated him.  
Right now, that was a little hard to do. Adalind was completely dependent on him. And she would be until she was able to go back to work. She didn’t even have powers that could aid him in any of his grimm work. Since they were suppressed for the foreseeable future, until the potion she took to prove it would suppress a hexenbiest powers and therefore suppress Juliet’s powers, wore off.  
The only thing Adalind had the ability to do for Nick, was to keep his home life as pleasant as possible.  
She smiled to herself as a song popped into her head. Sung by Elton John and resung as a sort of lullaby by Ellie Goulding.  
Adalind decided that since she was relaxing in the bath anyway, that there was no harm in singing for herself and her son.  
She chose the lullaby version of “Your Song”.  
“It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside.  
I’m not one of those who can, easily hide.  
I don’t have much money, but oh if I did,  
I’d buy a big house where, we both could live.”  
Adalind smiled as she sang, thinking how Nick had bought for them a big and safe house, even without a lot of money.  
“And excuse me forgetting, but these things I do  
You see I’ve forgotten if, they're green or their blue.  
Anyway the thing is, what I really mean, your’s are the sweetest eyes, I’ve ever seen.”  
Though Nick’s were the sweetest eyes she had ever seen, Adalind would never forget how startling blue they were.  
She was so lost in singing, that she never heard the elevator.  
Nick emerged into the loft and was greeted by Adalind singing.  
He smiled, recognizing the song. When he noticed the bathroom door slightly opened. Nick, making the assumption that Adalind was giving Kelly a bath, walked over and looked inside.  
And immediately felt the air leave his lungs.  
For a moment, Nick couldn’t move. All he could do was stare at the beauty bathing with the infant in the tub.  
The greatest artists throughout the centuries couldn’t invoke what Nick felt at that moment.  
Adalind looked ethereal. Like some mythical nymph or enchantress.  
He remembered some of the art classes he had taken in school. So many popular paintings that depicted this very image.  
Not one of them made his heart tremble as it did now. Because not one of them was of his child being held by the mother of his child.  
Nick slowly stepped back and flead to the fridge to grabbed a beer. He nearly drained it in one breathe, trying to get his thoughts and emotions under control.  
Realizing he was standing there with the door open, he figured he would start dinner. Focusing on the food help take his mind off of what Adalind was doing.  
By the time she and Kelly had emerged, Nick was back under control and could easily pretend he had just gotten home and hadn’t even looked in the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

“Adalind, no” Nick calls out.  
Sitting up in the bed, the blonde looks over at her son’s father. For a moment she wonders what could have him so distressed while in bed. Then, seeing that he’s still laying down and his eyes are closed, she understands, he’s talking in his sleep.  
“Adalind.” He says again, like a warning.  
With what he’s saying, she worries that he’s dreaming of her as a threat. Her heart clenches painfully in her chest. She had hoped Nick was past seeing her as a danger. But, it seemed his subconscious still viewed her as an enemy.  
But then, he starts to speak again. “Adalind, no, stay close to me. It’s not safe. I need to keep you safe.”  
Realizing that he’s dreaming of her in danger, the pain in Adalind’s heart subsides. “It’s alright, Nick.” She says softly. I’m with you. I’m safe.”  
“You and Kelly need to be safe. You are my responsibility. I need to keep you both safe.” Nick speaks with such conviction, it’s hard to believe he is consciously unaware of it.  
“Don’t worry, Nick. You are keeping us safe.” Adalind assures him.  
She’s heard of this type of thing before. Where some people talk in their sleep. Sometimes, an awake person can carry on a full conversation with a sleeping person. So Adalind decided to not wake Nick, and instead to indulge his sleeping selfs concerns.  
“You’re a powerful grimm, Nick. No one can stand a chance against you.”  
Nick relaxes slightly and says, “You need your powers back. Then you’ll be safe even when you are away from me.”  
“You’ll hate me when I get my powers back.” Adalind responds, sadness clear in her voice.  
“Never hated you.” Nick denies. “Was angry with you. Hated what you chose to do. But never hated you. Your good now. Your my friend now.”  
Adalind smiled. “Your my friend too, Nick.”  
“Yeah, we’re friends, now.” Nick confirms. “We can be happy together.”  
Adalind gasps and feels her heart pounding in her chest. She has to remind herself that Nick is still asleep, and is unaware of, and doesn’t really mean, anything that he’s saying.  
“Do I make you happy, now, Nick?” Adalind can’t help but aks. Feeling like with him asleep, he would be completely truthful with her.  
“You and Kelly, my happiness.” Nick smiles in his sleep.  
Adalind smiles too. Hearing Nick confirm he was happy with their little family, made her feel alot better about the situation. She couldn’t bare it if she was making him miserable.  
After a moment of silence, Nick begins to speak again. “I like coming home to you. I’m happy with you. You and Kelly are my whole reason for staying sane. I love my family.” He finishes with a sigh, then relaxes further, once again going into a deeps sleep.  
Adalind can’t help but to stay awake a bit longer. Her head spinning with all the things Nick had said. She couldn’t help the glimmer of hope that told her he was speaking the truth.  
She hears Kelly begin to fuss. A soft smile spreads on her face as she thinks, “Like father, like son.”  
Adalind slips out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake Nick. Then goes to their son and cradles him in her arms, pressing him to her to give him her milk. Once done, she adjusts her clothes and places his head on her shoulder to burp him.  
The love she feels for her baby overwhelms her. She is determined that this baby will know her. Know her face. Know her voice.  
Softly, she sings to her restless son.  
Nick drifts awake. It doesn’t take him long to register that Adalind is singing again. He watches her, unable to stop himself from gazing at this newest rendering of the image, Madonna with child.  
Even in cotton pajamas, no woman had ever looked more etheriel, than Adalind does in that moment.   
His admiration is put to a halt, when she looks over at the bed and sees that he’s awake.  
“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.” Adalind settles Kelly back in his crib, than looks at Nick and says, “You talked in your sleep. It sounded like like you were in the middle of something bad.” She chooses not to mention the conversation they had while he was asleep.  
“There a lot to be worried about right now.” Nick replies. “I guess it’s starting to take up my sleeping mind too.”  
“For what it’s worth.” Adalind says with deep sincerity. “I trust you, completely. I know that you will keep us safe.”  
Nick doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t have the words to say how much he likes hearing her say that. All he can to is smile his gratitude at her. Hoping she will understand.  
She does, of course, and returns his smile.  
Adalind walks back over to the bed and slips under the covers, fully relaxed the moment her head hits the pillow.  
Actions speaking louder than words, it’s easy for Nick to see how safe Adalind feels with him close by. He gazes at her for a little while longer, committing every detail of her form to memory, then lays back down and closes his eyes, hoping the beautiful woman next to him will fill his dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

Today was one of those days where Nick was really thinking of a career change.  
Most of the time, he loved being a cop. He loved using his ability to read people so well in order to put violent offenders behind bars.  
This was not one of those times.  
A robbery had occurred in one of the most upscale homes in Portland. A precious family heirloom, a diamond necklace had been taken. Multiple family members were accusing one another. No one had any proof and there were no cameras inside the house to even see who was in or near the room where the necklace was placed.  
And now he was dealing with a spoiled brat who thought this was all a game and kept trying to flirt with him while he was questioning her.  
“Miss, I need you to tell me where you were all day?” Nick repeated himself for the upteenth time.  
“Well, detective,” The young woman gave a coy smile and tilted her chest out slightly, trying to get Nick to look down her shirt. “I’m sure whatever I was doing, would have been way more fun with you there.” She then leaned back and stretched out her legs, attempting to touch him with her foot. “I know I can show you a good time.”  
Nick sighed, pulled out his cell phone and brought up a picture he had taken of Adalind holding Kelly.  
He shows the picture to the heiress. “This is what I go home to every night. These are the people I would much rather be spending time with.”  
Going back through his phone, Nick finds a video had had recorded.  
It had been a good morning. The whole day had been good, but this video had been taken in the morning. Nick and Adalind had been able to sleep in, thanks to their son sleeping in. Kelly was in a good mood, giggling and making happy baby noises.   
That put Adalind in a good mood.   
So she had decided to make pancakes. She had put music on, and, wearing a pair of cotton shorts and an old shirt of Nick’s, had done a little singing and dancing while fixing breakfast.  
Nick had of course decided the whole scene should be recorded, being too cute not to, and had done just that.  
Adalind was in too good a mood to care about the phone recording her, since one of her favorite songs had come on, and had kissed the air toward the camera.  
Nick had assumed toward Kelly, since he was holding their son in that moment, but anyone who watched the video, would think it was toward the person holding the phone.  
All in all, it made it look like Nick was in a loving relationship with a beautiful woman and they had a child together. All of it practically screamed domesticity. A perfect and happy life. And there was no need to look elsewhere.  
Showing her the video, Nick then gave the heiress a pointed look, saying, “You really think I would trade spending time with her, for spending time with you?”  
Rich brat had been shocked for a moment. She hadn’t expected any man to turn her down, ever. Now, she crossed her arms and actually pouted. Throwing a silent tantrum over being rejected.  
Nick looked back at the image on his phone. He smiled softly for a moment as he gazed at the woman on the screen. His irritation was lowered knowing that he when he got home, she would be there, with their son, and she would look pleased to see him. Like she always did.  
And wasn’t that the most amazing thing.  
There had been a time when they both had cringed at the very thought of the other.  
Now, Nick and Adalind legitimately enjoyed one anothers company. They could tease each other good naturally and neither would feel insulted and get mad.  
Like when she told him he was too easy to read. Everything he felt was all over his face.  
He had said she was one to talk, whatever mood she was in, she expressed verbally and physically. He never had to wonder what was on her mind, because she always spoke it.  
Adalind retorted by stealing the rest of his slice of the pie they were having.  
Her smug smile prompted him to launch at her and they ended up in a tickle fight. They both started laughing. Their faces got very close together. Adalind had wound up in Nick’s lap, his arms tightly around her, to keep her from tickling him.  
But as he held her, Nick realized he liked having Adalind in his arms. It felt right.  
The only reason he had let go, was because they had heard Kelly start to fuss.  
That moment had stayed with Nick. He wanted Adalind. Desired her.  
But he knew it wasn’t the right time to pursue anything physical. So Nick had excused himself to the bathroom and taken care of his need, keeping his free hand over his mouth to muffle his moans. While his only thought was of Adalind and how it had felt with her in his lap, and in his arms.  
Wanting more than anything to be heading home to his pretty blonde and their son, Nick decides to let the debutante stew for a while and go see if anyone else has gotten anywhere with the case.  
“I did some checking.” Wu informed Nick and Hank, “And it looks like this diamond necklace is worth a lot of money and heavily insured.”  
“So are we thinking this could end up being some kind of insurance scam?” Hank asked. “Someone in the family steals the necklace, collects the insurance payment and either sells the necklace for double the profit or keeps it hidden?”  
“It’s possible.” Wu replied. “Problem is, the person who is entitled to the insurance is the matriarch of the family. And she has a solid alibi, she was out with her oldest granddaughter all day. And she seems to be more distraught over the loss of the sentimental value, and not the financial one.”  
“What was she doing out with her oldest granddaughter?” Nick asked. His grimm instincts kicking in and telling him there was something important about that outing.  
“Wedding preparations.” Wu said. “Apparently, the granddaughter will be the first of the grand kids to get married. Grandma took her and her fiance to lunch, and then to look at potential venues.”  
“I need to ask the grandmother something.” Nick said, an idea forming.  
He goes into the captain’s office, where the elderly woman was sitting on the couch, having been placed there for her comfort.  
“Mam, I’m curious. This necklace, is it given to the first in a generation to be married?”  
“Why, yes. Yes it is.” The woman replied. “I was going to give to my oldest granddaughter to wear on her wedding day.” The elderly woman looked to be brought to tears again. “That necklace has been in my family for generations, and now, it is gone.”  
“Maybe not.” Nick comforted the woman. “Your second granddaughter, does she live with you?”  
“Yes, she does. She’s been having some troubles. Fights with her boyfriend. She said they he ruined her credit. That he has spread lies about her and she got kicked out of her apartment, and can’t seem to get another one.” The grandmother informed the detective.  
“Thank you, mam. You’ve been a big help.”   
Nick then goes back out to Hank and Wu.  
“We need to search the second granddaughter’s room and car.” Nick informs them.  
“Her room won’t be a problem. Since she lives with her grandmother and that whole house is a crime scene. Car might be an issue though.” Wu said.  
Grandma just told me that her second granddaughter has been having a lot of financial problems. “What do you want to bet that her car payments might be a part of that.?”  
“Partner, you are a genius.” Hank said, and the men headed out to search the second granddaughter’s properties.  
Sure enough, Nick was right.  
The car was way behind in payments and was repossessed that day. There were also a lot of outstanding speeding and parking tickets, which meant the granddaughter had a lot of self entitlement issues, and that the car was able to be impounded by the city. Giving Nick and Hank the ability to search it and find the necklace hidden in the spare tire.  
“She was angry that he cousin was getting married before her, and would be getting the prized necklace.” Nick told Adalind the whole story when he got home that night. “When we confronted her, she actually started shouting that the necklace should be hers anyway. Her cousin didn’t deserve the necklace. That it wasn’t fair that she was getting married and would be getting the necklace. The girl’s family says she has always hated when she wasn’t the center of attention. And would throw tantrums when she didn’t get her way.”  
“Was she a hexenbiest?” Adalind laughed.  
“Nope, just a regular human.” Nick chuckled. “I was reminded that they can be monsters, too.”  
“What made you suspect her in the first place?” Adalind asked.  
“She was flirting with me.” Nick answered. “Her grandmother is distressed. A family heirloom is missing. She’s sitting in a police station, being interrogated, and she was making a pass at the detective questioning her. That’s not something someone who was worried about her family member would do. And when I flat out rejected her, she pouted. So it was obvious that she lacked machority.”  
“You weren’t even a little tempted?” Adalind inquired. Keeping a smile on her face, as if teasing, but still genuinely curious.  
“Not even a little.” Nick admitted. “Everything about her felt wrong. I found myself getting more annoyed with her longer she continued to flirt.”  
Adalind felt very relieved to hear him say that, not liking the idea of Nick being interested in anyone. She tried to keep her expression that of amusement, not wanting Nick to question her on the feelings she didn’t yet want to analyse.  
Nick was too busy with his own inner struggle to pay to close attention to Adalind.  
A part of him wanted to tell her about showing the spoiled heiress her picture to get the brat to leave him alone. But he wasn’t sure about opening that particular can of worms.  
Whatever was starting between them, was still too new and fragile. They needed more time to figure it out for themselves, before bringing it out in the open.


	5. Chapter 5

“Burkhardt, go home.” Renard barks when he sees Nick is in the grip of a terrible rage and about to do something damaging to his career as a result of it.  
Without saying a word, Nick goes to his desk, picks up his jacket from his chair, and heads out.  
He’s not angry with his captain for sending him home. He’s to busy being enraged at the man who couldn’t appreciate the miracle he had been given.  
A woman and her baby had been found by a hiker earlier that morning. He was a photography hobbyist and had walked deep into the woods, far away from the designated trail, believing he could find more birds that way, and had been looking up, through his camera, when he tripped over the mound that was the murdered woman and baby.  
Their murderer hadn’t bothered to dig a whole. He just covered their bodies with some dirt, leaves and branches. He probably thought they wouldn’t be found for a long time, and if they were, they wouldn’t be identifiable.  
Not only had they been found, they were also easily identified. It was then especially easy to find their murderer.  
The woman’s boyfriend had decided he didn’t want to be a dad. He didn’t want to pay child support and he didn’t want anyone knowing he had a kid. He said he thought it would ruin his life.  
Nick had wanted to end the man’s life right then and there.  
He just couldn’t understand how any man could kill his own child.  
Nick hated anyone who harmed children. He believed that anyone who laid a hand of violence or perversion on a child should be killed right then and there.  
But a man killing his own child was something that was beyond Nick’s grasp of understanding. Just because he didn’t want the responsibility.  
To Nick, it was completely cold and callous.  
As angry as he had been with Adalind, he had never once thought of causing any harm to her, or to their baby.  
Nick may have wished that the circumstances would have been different, but never once has he ever not wanted his kid.  
Kelly was the most important thing in his life. Kelly was his whole world. Even if he and Adalind had never gotten along, Nick would have fought tooth and nail for his son.  
And that was why he wanted to strangle the man’s neck. Because he could never understand that kind of selfish, self centered evil.  
It was also why he had no problem with Renard sending him home. Nick desperately needed to see his family. He needed to hold his son in his arms. He needed to hear Adalind talk about whatever was on her mind.  
Nick uses the drive to calm himself down. He focuses on the people who will be there.  
To give himself more time, and a nice surprise for Adalind, he gets dinner from a takeaway place she said she liked.  
By the time he’s inside the loft, Nick is able to have a genuine smile on his face.  
“Oh, look Kelly, daddy’s home early!” Adalind’s smile is wide and bright. Just as beautiful as Nick new it would be.  
Nick sets the takeaway bags on the counter and then picks Kelly up and held the little boy snuggly against his chest. Inhaling his scent deeply, savoring the feel of the warm bundle in his arms, Nick can feel the last traces of tension leave his mind and body. Adalind and Kelly working their magic and once again bringing him peace.  
“Something happened.” Adalind observed with concern. “Do you want to talk about it?”  
Nick held his son a little tighter, and kissed him on his tiny head. “Hank and I caught a case of a murdered woman and her baby. The father of her child did it.” Nick shook his head. “The guy actually said it was because he didn’t want the responsibility. He thought his child would ruin his life.” He looks at Adalind and she can see his grief, pain, anger and confusion. “The guy murdered a child because he thought it would cramp his lifestyle.”  
Nick then takes one arm and wraps it around Adalind, pulling her tightly to him. She reciprocates and wraps her arms as tightly around him, burying her head in his chest, right next to where her son is pressed.  
That’s how they stand for a while, simply holding one another. Both grateful of the people they held in their arms.  
Nick ran his hand down Adalind’s hair, twirling the ends around his fingers.   
When she lifts her head up to look at him, he smiles warmly down at her and says, “You and Kelly being here means alot to me. Without the two of you here, I think I would still be seething.”  
Adalind smiles back at him. “We’re here because of you. You’re a good man. You’ve been doing everything to keep us safe. To provide everything we need. I know I would have been lost if you hadn’t. I am so grateful that men like you exist. Kelly is lucky to have you for a father.”  
Nick pulls her in for a tight hug again and kisses the top of her head. No words could express how happy he felt to hear Adalind say that.  
Her heart started racing when she felt his lips pressed to her head. A flood of warmth went through her at the affection he was showing her. Adalind was glad she could give Nick some comfort, to ease any suffering he was going through. He always did that for her, so it was nice to be able to return the favor.  
She reluctantly pulled herself away from him and said with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood, “Come on, we should eat before the food gets cold.”   
Nick lays Kelly down gently in his crib and then helps Adalind unpack the bags and lay the food out.  
He smiled contentedly as he sits down. He has a wonderful woman sitting in front of him. Who is so smart he can talk to her about any and every thing. And his son is sleeping peacefully close by.  
Nick knows what he has. He knows how important these two people are to him.  
And he’s willing to do any and every thing in his power to keep them safe, and in his life.


	6. Chapter 6

“Maybe it would be a wiser idea to leave that door sealed.” Adalind warned for what felt like the hundredth time. “It could be something dangerous locked away in there.”  
“Adalind, that tunnel hasn’t been used in fifty years. I doubt a creature could survive that long.”  
“A supernatural creature might. Your a grimm. You’ve dealt with a lot of being that seemed to impossible to exist.”  
“Ok. One, I now regret telling you about La Llorona and Volcanalis. And two, if there is something like that, I’m sure I can handle it. Just like I did those other beings.” Nick had thought he would impress the lady with his adventures. Now he wondered if he had only given her more cause to worry. “Besides, I doubt I will encounter any more otherworldly creatures in my lifetime.”  
Adalind will remind him of this conversation after dealing with the Zerstorer. He will be forced to promise to always listen to her and take her concerns seriously. No matter how over the top they might be.  
He would also promise to give her lots and lots of pleasure that night. Though that would have to do more with cherishing her after he thought he had lost her forever, than wanting to placate her over active worrying mind.  
“Well, if you do run into something, just scream so I can get Kelly and I out of here.” Adalind said, as if completely serious.  
“Thank you very much.” Nick said with heavy sarcasm, and made his way down the ladder to the tunnel.  
Nick was sweaty, dirty and he was in desperate need of a shower. He had spent what felt like hours working in the tunnel, trying to get that vault open. He had finally succeeded only after coating the thing in oil and then using a number of tools to jar it loose.  
He had worked hard. And it showed on his body. Shirtless, he made his way back up to the loft.  
Adalind stopped breathing when she saw Nick emerge from the tunnel doorway. He looked like something out of an erotic fantasy novel. The ones with the well toned muscle bound construction workers who build their lady love a beautiful home, then proceed to give them multiple orgasms in it.  
Nick hopped into the shower and Adalind had a terrible urge to offer to help him wash all of the dirt off.  
She imagined his strong hands moving over his firm body. How his form would look, standing there with the water cascading down.  
Her musings were cut short when Nick emerges from the bathroom.  
In nothing but a towel.  
“Forgot to take a change of clothes in with me.” He explained, as he walked to the bedroom.  
Adalind hoped to god that she hadn’t been gaping. At the very least, that her mouth had been closed.  
The droplets of water sliding down Nick’s chest from his still wet hair, combined with the knowledge that only a piece of cloth separated her eyes from the sexiness that was all of Nick Burkhardt, had her poor brain become completely useless.  
Nick sat on the bed and then laid back, heaving a heavy sigh. He was tempted to go to sleep right then and there.  
He wonder for a moment how Adalind would react if he just dropped the towel and crawled under the blankets.   
Would she gasp and cry out in shock? Demand he puts some clothes on? Maybe even refuse to get in the bed until he dressed.   
She could choose to ignore his behavior. Just slip into bed like there was nothing wrong. Would she strip too and crawl in with him?   
Could there be a chance of feeling her naked skin pressed against his?  
Nick stopped himself short, got up and quickly changed into night clothes, taking deep breaths to will away the erection that had started to form.  
Unbeknownst to the other, Adalind was having similar imaginings.  
Only in her fantasy, she was picturing going over to where Nick was laying, slipping that towel from his frame, straddling him, and finally relieving some of the tension she had been feeling since starting this life with the man.  
Though neither one knew, as they crawled into bed that night, that they both prayed that one day, all of their secret desires would no longer need to be secret and they could truly begin the life they wanted, with the person they wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

Adalind smiled to herself as she added the spaghetti to the boiling water. Making the pasta with bolognese had her thinking of the conversation she had with Nick, that first day they brought Kelly home.  
He had been so sweet to make her a sandwich and had even wanted to know more about her. When she told him she made a pretty good bolognese, he had even said he liked bolognese.  
Not only had it been easy to have a conversation with the grimm, but the conversation had provided Adalind with a way to please him.  
And she wanted very much to make him happy.  
Nick was a wonderful man, and he had been amazing since she told him she was having his baby.  
He had been so sweet, patient and tender with her on so many occasions.  
Ok, he was also incredibly easy on the eyes.  
There were a lot of benefits to get to living with Nick Burkhardt.  
Adalind was so distracted by her thoughts of Nick, that she wasn’t being careful as she drained the pasta and ended up splashing hot water on herself. She cursed, set the pot down on the counter, quickly turned off the burner that was simmering the sauce and removed her top as she headed to the bathroom. She soaked a cloth with cold water and pressed it on her pinked skin.  
Droplets fell from the cloth, so Adalind removed the rest of her clothes.  
The burn wasn’t bad. More uncomfortable than anything. And it wasn’t long before she decided to hang up her damp clothes and walk to the bedroom to get dry ones.  
It was at that precise moment that Nick decided to come back up from exploring the tunnel. Seeing him makes Adalind stop and stand still in shock.  
His eyes grew wide as he stared at the naked form of the mother of his child.  
There was no arguing that Adalind was a beautiful woman. She always had been. What made her breathtaking was the softness she carried with her.  
Not in her body. But her energy.  
Nick no longer saw Adalind as the cold and hard woman who had been hell bent on destroying his life.  
Now he saw her as the warm and gentle hearted woman whose very presence gave him comfort.  
At that moment, however, the site of her was making him far from comfortable.  
Nick’s pants were painfully tight and he was grateful that the lower half of his body was still hidden.  
All Adalind can do for a moment is to stand there frozen in shock. Which gives Nick plenty of time to get a good long look.  
Somehow, they both snap themselves out of their trance. Adalind runs to the bedroom to get clothes to wear, and Nick scurries back down the ladder and runs a long distance down the tunnels.  
Once he is sure he is far enough not to be heard, Nick ripped open his pants, pulled out his member and rubbed himself furiously. The image of Adalind’s naked form crystal clear in his mind.  
He was rough with himself. His need to great to be gently.  
Nick wanted Adalind. He wanted her body pressed against his. He wanted his lips on her, on every part of her.  
And he wanted her beneath him, her legs wrapped around his hips, looking up at him with love in her eyes and her face contorted in pleasure as he moved above and inside her.  
He wanted to hear his name on her lips when she was lost to bliss. And he wanted to hold her bare flesh to his as they basked in the sweet afterglow.  
His seed exploded from him as he called out “Adalind”. The name sounding like a pleas from Nick’s lips.  
He stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, taking the time to regain his composure and collect his barings.  
Nick removed his shirt and cleaned himself up with it. He balled the garment up to keep the stains out of site when he climbed back up the ladder and into the loft.  
He was thankful Adalind had put the clothes hamper in the bathroom. He headed straight for that room, shoved the garment as close to the bottom as possible, and then washed himself up, using cold water to soothe his heated skin.  
Nick knew Adalind was puzzled why he needed to change his shirt, but thankfully she didn’t ask.  
All he would have been able to tell her was that it was dirty. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he also couldn’t tell her he had masterbated after looking at her. He was afraid that would only creep her out. He figured no woman would want to hear something like that.  
“I didn’t think you would be coming back up so soon. I’m sorry I was not more careful.” Adalind apologize, believing that was the reason Nick hadn’t looked at her. “I know I haven’t gotten my pre baby figure back,,,”  
Nick interrupted her. “Adalind, there is nothing wrong with you and what you did.” He couldn’t believe she actually thought he would be mad about seeing her naked. He had to avoid looking at her to keep from growing hard again, but in his determination to assure her everything was alright, he looked her straight in the eye and said, “You are a beautiful woman. You should never feel ashamed of your body. And as far as walking around naked, this is your home too. When multiple people live together, these things happen.  
In an attempt to lighten the mood, Nick told her. “I lived with Monroe for a few months, trust me, you are a thousand times better sight than he was. I still have nightmares.”  
The information had the desired effect and got Adalind giggling, which was like music to Nick’s ears.  
They were both able to relax and enjoy dinner.  
In the back of Nick’s mind, he came to a decision, to be open with Adalind about what he really wanted out of their relationship.  
He made a vow to start dating the mother of his son, and hoped to get her to fall in love with him.  
What Nick didn’t know, was that Adalind already had.


	8. Chapter 8

“What kind of psycho robs a candy store?” Hank asked when he and Nick arrived at the scene.  
“Someone with a criminal sweet tooth.” Wu deadpanned.   
The sergeant then escorted the two detectives to the back room where the owner and sole worker was sitting and looking very distraught.  
While the woman was explaining what happened, Nick noticed an assortment of candies that all look like flowers. “Could I get a large box of those?” He asked the owner once she was done giving her statement and had given them the video from the surveillance cameras.  
The woman’s expression turned from distraught to delighted. Obviously happy to still be able to make a sale. She placed the confections in a white box and then wrapped it with a gold ribbon.  
Nick put the box immediately under the back seat the moment he got to his car.  
“You’re not gonna share with your partner?” Hank asked in a teasing voice, already guessing who Nick is planning on giving the box of candy to.  
“If you want candy, you can go back in there and get some for yourself. These are for Adalind.” Nick stated.  
“Combining flowers and chocolate in one gift? Somebody hoping to start something with the mother of his child?”  
Nick saw no point in denying it. Especially with the fact he was hoping for something that would last a lifetime with Adalind. And telling Hank anything but the truth would only be delaying him and everyone else getting used to Adalind being Nick’s choice.  
“She’s become important to me and I want her to know that.” Nick stated.  
By the seriousness in his partners tone, Hank knew there was only one response he could give.  
“I’m sure she’ll love them. I’m glad that things are working out so well for the two of you.”  
“Thank you. Me too”  
When Nick got home, he hid the box behind his back as he entered and saw Adalind in the kitchen area.  
“Hi” Adalind greeted. “How was work?”  
“Somebody robbed a candy store.”  
“That’s horrible.” Adalind replied in understandable outrage.  
“What was really horrible was the joke Wu made.”  
Adalind shook her head, rolled her eyes and continued to stir whatever was cooking on the stove.  
“Oh” Nick said, pretending like he just remembered. “I got you something.”  
He pulled the box from behind his back and positioned it in front of the blonde.  
Adalind beamed as she opened the box and saw the beautifully shaped confections.  
She wrapped her arms around Nick’s neck and hugged him tight. “Thank you so much.”  
This was exactly the reaction he had been hoping for. His arms automatically wrapped themselves around her back and he answered softy, “You’re welcome.”  
For a moment they just stood there, lost in the feel of their bodies pressed close together.  
Of it’s own free will, Nick’s hand raised and began to stroke Adalind’s hair. His eyes closed and he breathed deeply, taking in her scent.  
Adalind pressed her nose into Nick’s neck. She felt so safe. She felt as if she belonged right there, held tightly in his arms and pressed against his body.  
A voice in the back of her mind told her that the moment would be perfect if neither of them were wearing clothes.  
Adalind was pulled out of her secret thoughts and desires by the sound of her son fussing in his crib.  
Reluctantly, the couple withdrew their arms from one another and went to tend to their child.  
“I was thinking we could use a night out.” Nick said to Adalind. “Maybe dinner and a movie?”  
Adalind smiled. “That sounds amazing, but I doubt anyone at a restaurant or movie theater would appreciate a couple with a fussy baby.”  
“We could get Monroe and Rosalee to watch Kelly?” Nick suggested.  
Adalind looked fearful for a moment. “I don’t like the idea of being away from my baby.”  
Nick put his hands on her shoulders. “Adalind, I know what we put you through with Diana hurt you. And not a day has gone by where I haven’t regretted listening to Renard. Now that I’m a father myself, I can’t understand how he could just let his daughter go. I know that should anyone try to take my child from me, there is nothing I would not do or risk until we were reunited. And I want to let you know, that I asked Rosalee to contact the wesen council. If they see a girl matching Diana’s description, they’ll let us know. I will do everything in my power to reunite your daughter with you. As well as keep you and our son safe.”  
“Really!” Adalind smiled at him brightly.  
Nick nodded. “It was wrong of us to exclude you from the plan and wrong of us to carry it out. And I want to make things right. For everyone’s sake. We deserve to know if we can be better than we were. Maybe even see if we can be a family. You, me, Kelly and Diana.” Nick softened his voice and said, “Monroe and Rosalee won’t let anything happen to Kelly. And Rosalee told me you want with me what she has with Monroe.”  
Adalind blushed and tried to pull away but Nick stopped her and said, “I want the same thing.” She looked at him with wide eyes, speechless with shock, so he continued, “I want us to have some time alone together. Where we can focus on us. It wouldn’t be right to place the strength of our relationship on the fact that we have a child together. I know neither of us would want to put Kelley through that, give him that burden. That’s why I want to take you out on a real date.” Nick smirked and raised her hand to his lips. “So, I’m asking, Adalind Schade, will you go out with me?”  
For the second time that evening, Adalind throws her arms around Nick;s neck and hugged him tight.  
Nick hugged her back and said, “So is that a yes?”   
Adalind giggled. “Yes.” She nodded her head really fast multiple times. “Yes, I would love to go out with you.”  
She then picked up Kelly and said, “Did you hear that? Mommy and daddy are going on a date.”


	9. Chapter 9

When date night arrived, Adalind was a little nervous about leaving Kelly with Monroe and Rosalee, but it was overruled by her excitement on getting a romantic evening with Nick.  
Nick decided the best place to take Adalind for their date was a small Italian place owned by a friend of Bud Worstner and his wife.  
She wore a simple black dress. He wore a blazer and slacks. No tie. The plan was dinner followed by a movie they would choose when they got to the theatre.  
They found that they could easily find a lot to talk about. What each of their lives was like when they were kids and as they grew older.   
Both discovered that they had each felt great loneliness.   
Nick was often by himself most evenings when his aunt “had things to do.” He of course realized later that she had been hunting those nights. Moving around so much meant that he had to make new friends every few months, and while he had gotten good at being friendly and social, it still left many moments when he had no choice but to be on his own.  
Adalind had dealt with a mother who would rather go to parties and dates with wealthy and powerful men, than spend any time with her daughter. In her teen years, Adalind had been so focused on not becoming her mother, that she had kept her nose in a book, and almost never went to parties. She rarely dated, which may have what made her so easily susceptible to Sean Renard and his charms when he came along. She had been so touch starved and desperate for love and affection that she had easily fallen for and given her whole heart to a man who only wanted to use her to gain power. A man who turned his attentions away once he realized she was no longer of use to him.  
Nick could relate, fighting for and hanging on desperately to a relationship where the other person had long since let go. Wanting to not lose what he feared was his only chance at love and happiness.  
Both Nick and Adalind had learned the hard and painful way that sometimes there was nothing you could do to save a relationship and that you just had to let go and hope to find what you need with someone else.  
It was left unsaid that each hoped they had found that someone in the other.  
After dinner they went to the movie theatre and were thrilled to discover they actually liked the same types of movies, having quickly agreed on which film they wanted to see.  
During the film, Nick took Adalind’s hand in his own and held it for the entire length of the movie. Not once did she even attempt to pull her hand away, though she did find it a little difficult to concentrate on the plot. Especially when he began to glide his thumb over her sensitive skin. She swore her heart was pounding louder than the explosive effects in the movie.  
And while there was a happy conclusion to the story, that had nothing to do with the huge smiles that were on the couple’s faces.  
The entire evening felt strangely easy. And there seemed to be a rightness to the whole thing, as if it was what the couple was meant to be doing.  
They picked up their son from Monroe and Rosalee’s home and headed back to thiers.  
Laying Kelly in his crib, watching the sweet baby boy sleeping so peacefully, it made the couple believe wholeheartedly that things were better for the both of them. That their lives were finally on the right path.  
So when Nick looked at Adalind and asked, “Will you go out with me again?”  
Adalind quickly answered with a smile and a “Yes”  
Nick then cupped Adalind’s face gently in his hands and softly pressed his lips to hers. Adalind returned the kiss with equal measure. They revelled in the feel and taste of one another. And each felt a sense of sweet relief, of finally experiencing the first real intimacy of a new love.   
In silent agreement, they stopped at the kiss. Both understanding that they needed to take things slow. To still get to know each other and this new relationship better.  
Their second date turned out to be the very next day.  
It was Nick’s day off and he got a call from Monroe.  
The blutbad had been given a job at a mini golf course with a replica of big ben as one of their holes.  
It was a real working clock that was not working and had the owner near frantic. He had called Monroe and had offered him anything he wanted if he got the clock running again within a couple of hours.  
The job had turned out to be a simple one and Monroe was able to get the replica clock tower running again in no time at all.  
The owner was so appreciative for the prompt and efficient service, that he offered the blutbad and three of his friends free tickets to play a round.  
“It will be like a double date.” Monroe remarked. “You said you wanted to try the normal dating thing with Adalind? I think normal couples go on double dates.”  
While Nick was certain the word normal could apply to any body he knew, especially the couples, he readily accepted his friends offer. Wanting to do anything he could to further the growing bond between himself and Adalind.  
Kelly’s diaper bag was packed and his stroller loaded. Nick and Adalind knew they could easily handle the baby while they played. When Adalind needed to feed their son, Nick promised to hold a blanket in front of her, blocking the view of anyone who would pitch a tantrum over a natural thing.  
“Have you ever been miniature golfing before?” Rosalee asked Adalind.  
“Miniature golfing? No. I played regular golf, though. It seems almost a requirement when you want to be a lawyer or a doctor. If you want to talk business with some clients, you have to go on a golf field.” Adalind shrugged her shoulders and asked Rosalee, “Have you played?”  
“Not since I was a kid.” The fuchsbau admitted. “My parents and grandparents took us kids out a few times. That stopped of course when we thought we were too old and too cool to be hanging out with our parents.”  
The women turned to Nick and Monroe, obviously expecting to know when last they had played.  
“I’ve played mini golf and regular gold before.” Nick said. “Group dates in high school for the mini golf. And some friends in college invited me to play with them. One of them had parents that were members at a country club, they invited me as their guest.”  
“I guess I’m the only person here who has never so much as touched a golf club before.” Monroe sighed. “And here I was hoping at least one other person was also a novice.”  
The rest chuckled.  
“Don’t worry, honey,” Rosalee told her husband, “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”  
One round of mini golf later:  
“I did not do fine. I absolutely, one hundred percent, irraquifically did not do fine.” Monroe growled.   
Nick could almost see his best friends eyes just start to glow red from his frustration. Being so irritated and angry he was on the verge of woging.  
“What kind of a sick sadist came up with a game like that.” The blutbad continued. “Who other than a complete psycho would create a game where you have to knock a ball into a little tunnel, only to have it shoot out of a hole and you have to hope it wasn’t moving too fast so it will go into another hole and not skip over it?”  
“For your first time touching a golf club, ever, I think you did a great job.” Rosalee comforted her husband.  
Nick figured Monroe’s real issue had been too many distractions from all the many moving parts of the park, and then getting frustrated and hitting the ball harder than intended a little too many times.  
Despite the howling from the wolf, everyone had a great time.  
Kelly, sitting in his stroller, was even more distracted by the many movie buildings and figures, and never once became fussy, allowing his parents a peaceful day.  
Of which, of course, they took advantage of.  
Each had used the excuse of “helping” the other’s stance, by placing their hands on the other’s hips and “guiding” them into a better position.  
Strangely(not so much) their hands seemed to linger long after the other was in a stance to take their turn.  
When it was Monroe or Rosalee’s turn, Nick and Adalind always stood side by side. Sometimes they held hands. Sometimes Nick had his arm wrapped around the blonde, and she would be smiling bashfully at the attention.  
To anyone who noticed them, they looked to be a loving couple having a day out with their baby and some friends.  
There was only one thing that was making Adalind a little on edge about the day.  
A few times, when either her ball or Nick’s seemed a little off course, it would change its path as if someone had pushed it.  
In each moment, when the ball looked to be going in the wrong direction, Adalind had been nervous, her mind focusing on her desire for the object to go where she wanted it to, and then she would feel an energy coursing through her body, something she remembered feeling before.  
And now, just as she and Nick were starting to make an effort on the relationship she had hoped to have with him, Adalind feared her powers were returning. She worried that should she become a hexenbiest again, Nick would become repulsed by her, and would decide that he had no interest in being with a hexenbiest.  
After all, isn’t that why he and Juliette had broken up?  
Nick could see Adlind was a little distracted. Though she tried to control her features, he could still see the flash of fear and doubt in her eyes.  
Having noticed the behavior of the gold balls as well, he had a feeling where her thoughts were taking her.  
Nick brought her hand to is lips and kissed her fingers. Their eyes met and he whispered softly, “This has been a great second date.” He hoped by saying second date, Adalind would see that he was hoping for more, and maybe it would lesson her fear.  
Still, he knew they needed to talk. Really, before they had started dating, they should have made it clear what they were expecting from and willing to put in to their relationship.  
They grabbed dinner with Monroe and Rosalee and then headed home. All the while Nick could see Adalind was a little tense and distant. He could tell she was bracing herself for rejection. That beautiful brain of her going on overdrive again and making her plan for the worst possible outcome.  
He had to yell at his ego for being a little thrilled that she might feel him rejecting her was a bad outcome.  
They entered their “fome” and got their son ready for bed, in relative silence. Adalind thought through what she might need to say to convince Nick to still give them a chance. Nick thought through what he wanted or needed to say to comfort Adalind convince her he still wanted a romantic relationship with her.  
Adalind was so distracted by her thoughts, that she didn’t see and ended up tripping over one of Kelly’s toys. On reflex, Nick swooped in and caught her, gathering her in his arms and pulling her in tight.  
Their bodies were pressed together and their mouths were so close they could feel the others warm breath on their skin.  
He whispered, “I knew your powers would come back. I knew you would become a hexenbiest again. I don’t care about that. I need the woman who is passionate and intelligent and full of warmth. I need you.”  
Adalind wanted to believe his words, but she still questioned their truth, “Juliette became a hexenbiest, and “   
She didn’t get to finish.   
“Juliette became a monster. Not because she became a hexenbiest, but what she chose to do with her new powers.” Nick interrupted her. His voice strong and adamant. “She didn’t tell me at first. And then when she did, she was angry, hostile and wouldn’t give me a chance to adjust to the new her. She tried to kill an innocent child, one that had yet to even be born. She knew how I felt about kids, but she cared only for revenge. She tried to make me kill Monroe. She sided with the royals and helped them kill my mother.  
Nick sat himself and Adalind on the bed and continued. “Everything you did, you did because your heart was broken. It wasn’t right, but I can understand it. And for all that you did, you never reached the level of evil Juliette did. I’ve seen you at your worst. And I know what you're capable of.” He actually grinned at her and said. “I figured as long as I don’t break your heart, you won’t try to rip out mine.”  
Adalind rolled her eyes at his teasing. And, grateful at his effort to lighten the mood, snuggled herself into him and laid her head on his shoulder.  
One of his hands stroked his fingers through her hair, further soothing her, putting her at ease. The gentle caresses were calming to them both. Somehow assuring each of them that neither one was interested in ending their courtship any time soon.  
Once fear and doubt were removed, it allowed other things to creep in.  
Like hunger and desire.  
Adalind tilted her head up and began to press her lips along Nick’s neck.  
Nick shuddered and tightened his grip on her body. “Adalind” He warned her huskily. “I may be a grimm, but I’m still a man.”  
“Mmm. Don’t I know it.” She responded, still kissing his neck and moving one hand down his chest while the other held tightly to his muscular arm.  
Nick pulled her head back and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss.   
Adalind’s hands bunched in his shirt, trying to pull them closer together. Then growing frustrated with her need, she pushed the shirt up, encouraging him to remove it all together, which he did.  
With his muscular chest fully exposed, she wasted no time peppering kisses on every inch of flesh she could reach.  
Nick’s arms wrapped tightly around her, and Adalind moaned softly when his lips moved down her neck.  
One of her hands drifted low, found his rock hard bulge and cupped it firmly, inciting a shudder from the powerful grimm.  
He shoved his hands beneath her shirt, one cupped her breast over her bra, squeezing with the same firmness she held him in, the other hand splayed on her back, feeling the soft smooth skin there. Then his skilled fingers undid the hook of the garment, freeing the cloth and allowing room for his hands to explore her mounds.  
Needing to see as well as touch, Nick pulled away enough to remove her tops completely.  
He latched his mouth on a bare nipple, sliding his tongue over the hardening flesh. She buried her fingers through his hair and gripped tight, gasping and whimpering, unable to hold in her enjoyment.  
She laid back flat on the bed. Still clinging tight to Nick’s head even has he began to wonder lower down her body.  
He removed the rest of her clothes, then continued to mouth at her form. Her soft belly was worshipped by his lips and tongue, not an inch was ignored.  
His mouth yearned to move lower still. He spread her legs and knelt between her thighs. Adalind’s body trembled with anticipation. Her breath caught as he started mouthing along each thigh, slowly moving closer to where she was already wet and aching for her, her little bud as rock hard as the bulge that was still hidden in his pants.  
When at last he reached her center, Adalind cried out and her back arched off the bed. She lost full control of her body, unable to stop it from writhing as Nick explored her so thoroughly. His every assault on her sensitive petals causing bolts of pleasure to shoot right through her.  
“Nick” She whimpered. “Nick, please. I need you inside me.”  
Unable to deny her or himself, Nick quickly removed the last of his clothes and laid his body over top of hers.  
She cradled him beautifully. Welcoming him perfectly against her.   
Their arms wrapped tightly around one another once more, and they joined their mouths together as finally they joined their bodies.  
Noether one was silent, but the sounds were constantly muffled as they could never keep their lips off one another.  
Nick thrust his tongue into Adalind’s mouth in the same rhythm he thrust his member into her hot canal.   
She met his every thrust. Held him just as tight as he held her.  
Their bodies rolled along the bed. Each tried to take and give their all. Their moans filled the room. Hands continuously explored. Both seemed driven by a primal need to have the other.  
And then Nick pushed Adalind on her back and drove into her with an unrelenting force. Pounding into her until they were shot into the sweet oblivion and they cried out as one, clinging to each other as if for survival.


	10. Chapter 10

As the morning light drifted into the windows of the bedroom, it revealed a scene of lovers embraced.  
Nick laid on his back, one arm wrapped around Adalind, her head laying on his chest and her hand over his heart, his other hand on top.  
His mind was running through every memory he had ever had with Adalind.  
They had been at odds for so long. And then they found themselves parents of an innocent child. Somehow, they found a way to work together. But more than that, they found they could be friends. It seemed they could relate to one another. Understand one another. And they began to grow closer. Because the more they opened up to one another, the more they likes, and they more they wanted to know.  
Now, they had reached a whole new level. They were lovers.  
From enemies to lovers. Who could have thought it was possible.  
Though his head was trying to process the whole situation, Nick’s heart had already settled on the truth.  
No matter how crazy this whole thing seemed, Nick felt he would never want to change a thing. He would not dwell on the past, for fear of losing the potential for a happy future. A future he was certain included Adalind.  
The woman occupying his thoughts stirred in his arms. He didn’t miss the smile on her face as she brushed her body against his. Her eyes opened and she immediately looked up at him, as if wanting to confirm the events of last night.  
He could see the questions in her eyes before she opened her mouth to ask, “Any regrets about last night?”  
He smiled at her. “None for me. What about you?”  
She shook her head. “Last night was wonderful.” She began to press kisses along his jaw. “You were wonderful.”  
Their bodies shift and they soon faced one another. Nick cupped Adalind’s face and sealed their lips together in a deep kiss.  
“I’ve wanted you for a while now.” Nick spoke softly against her lips. “You have no idea how much torture it is to see you when you’re in my shirt or wearing nothing. It took all my strength to distance myself.”  
Adalind smiled wide at the confession and made one of her own. “I’ve wanted you for a long time. Ever since you started being so tender with me. I’ve been falling more in love with you every day.”  
Nick stared wide eyed at her for a moment, then pulled her in tighter for an all consuming kiss.  
It was only due to hearing their son fuss in his crib that Nick and Adalind pulled away from one another.  
As they began the day, Nick’s mind was filled with Adalind’s confession. A part of him felt a little guilty that he couldn’t say it back.  
Though not for the reason that he didn’t feel the same way.  
Nick couldn’t tell Adalind that he loved her was because he was afraid that once he said the words, something would happen to take her away from him.  
He felt he had enough of losing the people he loved to last him a lifetime. Adalind and Kelly were his last link to sanity. He knew he would go completely mad if he were suddenly without them.  
Still, just because he couldn’t speak the words just yet, didn’t mean he couldn’t show her how much he felt for her in his heart.  
For a start, while Adalind was feeding Kelly, Nick decided to make breakfast.  
He had to often remind himself to watch the food, because he couldn’t stop himself from glancing over and gazing at the beautiful woman holding their baby in her arms and looking very much like so many depictions of the Madonna with child.  
Once Kelly was taken care of, Adalind helped Nick prepare breakfast. His eyes never stopped following her. He also felt the need to constantly touch her.  
Adalind noticed the way Nick looked at her and she felt a light blush spread. A part of her was a little disappointed he hadn’t told her he loved her. But that part was easily silenced by the obvious signs of affection Nick was showing.  
Like the way he kept touching her. On her arms and on the small of her back. How he placed kisses on her neck and the side of her face. Their morning was filled with sweet and tender gestures.  
Unfortunately, the morning couldn’t last forever and Nick had to go into work. But he made sure to give Adalind a kiss goodbye before he did.  
“How did date night go?” Hank asked, already guessing the answer by the huge smile on his partners face.  
“So well that were had a couples date with Monroe and Rosalee the next day.” Nick replied.  
“And how did that go?”  
“Fun for everyone except Monroe.” Nick chuckled. “We went miniature golfing and he had never touched a club before in his life. So you can guess the outcome.”  
Nick didn’t tell Hank about Adalind’s powers returning or the passionate night the couple shared. While he respected his partner a great deal, he felt that when it came to love, though Hank was older, he wasn’t wiser. And Nick felt he wouldn’t understand fully what Nick and Adalind meant to one another.  
The person whose insights Nick did trust, was Monroe. The blutbad had both the knowledge of wesen and their natures pertaining to relationships, and what it was like to fall in love with someone who, by all appearances, seemed so different.  
“Adalind’s powers came back. And then we had sex.” Nick blurted while he and Monroe were going through books, trying to find the wesen behind the rapid aging and deaths of several people.  
“Wow. Ok.” Monroe stared wide eyed at his friend. “How are you feeling about that?”  
“She’s become the kind of person I have always hoped to find. I’ve been attracted to her for a while. Being with Adalind has been amazing. But now that I have all of these good things in my life. I can’t help the fear that it’s going to all be taken away.” Nick confessed.  
“I can’t really blame you. Life hasn’t exactly been all that smooth for you. Especially in the whole love department. I want you to be happy. And I think you deserve more than anyone to find some happiness. So far, Adalind has done a wonderful job of putting a smile on your face. You’ve certainly seem more at ease since the two of you started getting along. I would just air on the side of caution. Adalind is a hexenbiest. Her powers have returned. Make sure your prepared for what a life with her could entail.” Monroe advised.  
Nick knew he was right. He was so used to seeing her as helpless and dependent on him. He was used to being stronger, tougher, more powerful than his lovers. A part of him had always thought he needed to be protective. Even go so far as to hide information from them, in order of keeping them safe.  
But he knew he couldn’t keep repeating that pattern. Not if he wanted to do better by Adalind. Not if he truly wanted to have a life with her.  
He owed it to both her and himself to learn from the past and be better.  
Adalind had already shown she was better than she used to be. It was only fair that Nick did the same.


	11. Chapter 11

With her powers returned, Adalind was going over everything she felt. Not just about their return. Or her feeling for Nick. But about everything that made up her life now.  
Without a doubt. She still loved Nick with her entire being. Adalind was certain she would do anything and everything to keep Nick with her. And of course show him every day how much he meant to her.  
She had no reservations about being with a grimm. No this was not anything she had planned, but Adalind knew this was where she belonged.  
And that certainly was reinforced by Nick continuing to treat her as if she were the most precious woman in his world.  
Nick’s affection never wavered. His tenderness and kindness toward her never stopped. There was never a single moment of hesitation whenever he touched her.  
In fact, now that they had become lovers. His kisses, touches and other actions of affection tripled in the frequency.  
Before he left for work and when he came back home, Nick would always press his lips to Adalind’s.  
They were always touching each other. Whether they were taking care of Kelly, preparing a meal or looking over books to figure what the latest wesen baddie could be, the two constantly felt the need for contact.  
This was of course noticed by the others. Since they would be in the spice shop when doing research.  
After a couple of hours of watching Nick constantly place his hand on the small of Adalind’s back or play with her hair in some way, Rosalee met the blonde’s eyes and mouth the word, “Congratulations.”  
Adalind understood she was referring to when Adalind had confessed to wanting what the blutbad and fuchsbau had. A strong, steady and loving relationship. And it was obvious that she had what she wanted, with Nick.  
If Monroe, Hank or Wu thought it was odd, they kept their opinions to themselves. None of them showed any sign of disgust toward her.  
When Adalind brought it up to Nick that evening, Nick had smiled and said, “Man’s code. Never insult the woman your friend has obviously chosen. Or you could possibly find yourself with one less friend.”  
“Oh, women have a different code.” Adalind grinned and confessed. “If you think your friend is dating a loser, tell her. So she doesn’t waste her time.”  
Nick smiled back and pulled Adalind into his arms. “And what do you think your friends would say about me?”  
She drapes her arms around his neck and whispers, “Don’t ever let that one go.”  
“Wise choice.” Nick moans and meets Adalind’s lips in a passionate kiss.  
Since becoming lovers, they had been intimate as often as they could.  
That fact added another point in the column of why Adalind was happy and felt her life was almost perfect.  
She just needed her daughter back for her life to be complete.  
Nick was doing everything in his power to find Diana. Even having Rosalee notify the wesen council that the Portland grimm would owe them a favor if they found and at least notified him of her whereabouts.  
Because there was no doubt Diana was a unique child. Nick could not be sure her age or appearance. All that he could really say was that she was a young hexenbiest showing extraordinary powers for her age.  
But by some miracle, that seemed to be enough.  
Rosalee got the call and passed it onto Nick. It turned out that a man who was apart of the resistance had gotten Diana from the royals. Miesner had been looking for Adalind, wanting to return her daughter to her, but uncertain of whose side she was on. He had no idea that Adalind had another baby, this one by a grimm and was living with the grimm.  
Miesner had never heard of Nick Burkhardt before. That is until a few of the wesen council members, like Alexander, told him some of the extraordinary stories about the unique grimm. A grimm who believed in saving people. A grimm who lead with his heart.  
Those stories helped Miesner decide to reveal a location where Adalind could be reunited with her daughter.  
They all still had to hide from the royals. So everyone involved had to be discreet.  
And there was also the favor the wesen council wanted in return for finding the whereabouts of the special child.  
The council wanted to discuss everything in person, requesting that the grimm and his trusted wesen friends fly to Germany, and had a trusted forger create fake documents for Nick, Adalind, Kelly, Monroe and Rosalee.  
The council deemed it to dangerous for Sean Renard to enter Europe. Nick and Adalind decided together to not tell him what they were up to till they had Diana safe and sound back in Portland.  
Nick told his captain, Hank and Wu that there was something he had to take care of. Something he couldn’t tell them about.  
Renard had looked unhappy about being left out of whatever was going on, but knew there was nothing he could really do about it, and simply wished Nick good luck.  
The five boarded a plane.   
Nick and Adalind’s aliases had them pose as a married couple. Monroe had been able to find a couple of rings that looked like they matched.  
To anyone looking at them. They simply appeared to me two couples, one with a baby, headed out for a vacation.  
For the whole plane ride, Nick and Adalind held hands. The hexenbiest squeezing the grimms hand for comfort and reassurance.  
Adalind felt near ready to burst with nervousness and excitement. Soon, she would be reunited with her daughter. And then her family would be complete.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are wondering.: This story is AU, or it can be considered a fix it fic. There is no Black Claw and Renard won't be behaving like a complete and utter moron. But don't worry, there will still be plenty of hot and steamy moments between Nick and Adalind.

Alexander met the two couples and the baby at the airport and guided them to where a van was waiting.  
“Meisner has a small cottage surrounded by forest and a great distance from other people. He told only me where it is located. It was felt that as little know about the location of your Diana, the better.” Alexander explained. “Once I take you there and mother and daughter are reunited. I will them explain what the council hopes to gain as payment.”  
For Adalind, it felt like they were traveling for an eternity. Not once did she let go of Nick’s hand. It felt like his grip was the only thing keeping her in her skin.  
She also kept a lot of her attention on Kelly, secure in the seat next to her. Her sweet baby boy a wonderful distraction from the frantic thoughts and fears filling her head.  
They finally arrived at the cottage. Nick noticed a window curtain move. Soon after, a man came out holding the hand of a little blonde girl who looked to be six or seven years old.  
“Diana.” Adalind shouted, jumping out of the vehicle and running to the child, pulling her tightly in her arms, sobbing. “I’ve missed you so much my sweet little girl. I have thought about you every single day.”  
While mother and daughter were embracing one another. Nick pulled Kelly out of his car seat and carried him over to meet his sister.  
Adalind looked up at his approach, then gently pulled herself from her daughter to said, “Diana, this is the man I love, Nick.” She motions her hand toward Nick then moved it to focus on Kelly. “And this is our son, Kelly, your baby brother.”  
The little girl smiled brightly. “May I hold my brother?”  
“Why don’t we go inside, first?” Meisner suggested. He then lead the way and motioned for everyone to take a seat.  
Nick sat on one end of the couch, Adalind beside him, and Diana next to her. The mother helped her newly returned daughter with placing the baby boy on her lap, allowing the two siblings to bond.  
Miesner sat on the chair next to the couch and asked Nick about how the grimm came to be with Adalind, a hexenbiest.  
Nick gave a heavy sigh and explained how Adalind had shown up with his mother and a uniquely powerful baby. The royals then giving Renard threats that unless he hand over his daughter, they would find and kill his mother. How the group did not tell Adalind they came up with a plan to send her baby away with Nick’s mom and made the poor woman believe the royals had her daughter.  
When he got to the part about Adalind taking Nick’s powers in the guise of Juliette as a way of appeasing the royals in an attempt to get her daughter back, the blonde hung her head and looked ashamed.  
To comfort her, Nick took her hand, kissed her knuckles and smiled at her warmly. Letting her know that all was long forgiven.  
He then continued explaining how Juliette had to transform into Adalind and sleep with him in order to return his powers. But she had become a hexenbiest. One so violent that she almost killed several people. And Juliette, as a way of making Nick suffer for not letting her kill Adalind who was pregnant with his son, as a result of how she had taken his powers, sided with the royals, helped them kill his mother and take Diana.  
“Just when I had lost everything. Adalind gives birth to our son and offers to name him Kelly, after my mother.” Nick smiled. “I was in the darkest moment of my life, and then suddenly I had hope and a reason to stay sane. Adalind and I decided to put aside all the pain we caused one another. Realizing we had to for our son’s sake. I got us a safe and secure home, still knowing that there could be threats to the both of us. Adalind and I discovered we could really like each other. That we actually had a lot in common. And have found something with one another we’ve both been looking for for a long time.”  
Nick had noticed the way Miesner would look at Adalind and wanted to make it very clear that the beautiful woman was with the father of her son. And this baby daddy was planning on hanging on and never letting go.  
Miesner wasn’t blind. He could see how possessive the grimm was with the hexenbiest. He could also see how Adalind looked to Nick for comfort and strength.  
As captivated by Adalind that he felt, it was a simple crush compared to the deep love radiated between the the grimm and his hexenbiest.  
“Will I get to live with you, my brother and Nick now mommy” Diana asked.  
“Of course, honey. Mommy is never letting you go again.” Adalind replied, hugging her daughter tight for emphasis.  
“We have all the necessary paperwork ready to be used when it’s time for you to return to the states.” Alexander said. “We made sure to make Diana a U.S. citizen, to avoid any confusion.”  
With all that cleared up and the assurance that Diana was officially back with her mother, it was time to tell Nick what the council expected in return.  
“There is an artifact the royals have been after for centuries.” Alexander began. “What that artifact is, no one knows. All that we know is that it is something that may hold great power.”  
“Are you talking about whatever the grimms found and hid from the royals?” Nick asked.  
“Oh, so you have heard of this story? That is is a relief. It saves us some time.” Alexander replied.  
“Are you expecting Nick to find whatever this thing is and give to the council?” Monroe asked. By the tone of his voice, it was clear how displeased he was by the idea. “The royals have killed people for centuries over this thing. How can you be sure they find a way to take it from the council, if you should get it?”  
“That is exactly the reason why the council will not be expecting to even see the artifact.” Alexander answered the agitated blutbad calmly. “We feel that whatever it is, may be safest in the hands of a grimm. Preferably one we know cares about the safety and well being of all wesen. One who even now has a wesen for a lover.” The council member motioned to Nick.  
“How do you expect me to find whatever this thing is?” Nick asked in annoyance. “My ancestors haven’t exactly passed down that knowledge.”  
“Oh, but in a way they have. A map made up of seven keys.” Alexander smiled smugly.  
Miesner explained. “I met a grimm here in Germany as I was searching for a safe place to stay with the child. The grimm was well over eighty and had no family. He knew he was dying and asked that I find a grimm to give his family's legacy to. A trunk filled with books, weapons and three keys. I told only Alexander because I had heard he was on good terms with a grimm who was a hero to wesen.”  
“Not all council members can be trusted.” Alexander admitted. “In truth, very few of us had been told of your request to find your daughter.” He looked at Adalind while he said that part then returned to talking to Nick. “Those of us who knew want a world where wesen can live and love as they choose. Preferably without the fear of the royals. And so we ask that you go through that trunk of grimm artifacts and find a way of keeping that tool of power from the royals.”  
Miesner then got up, went into another room and brought out a large trunk. Opening the trunk, he said, “Those who know about the ancient artifact know your ancestors divided the map into seven keys. Hopefully, you will have enough information on where to start with these three.”  
Nick looked at Adalind with a conspiritory smile, who returned a similar smile, reached into her blouse and withdrew a chain with two keys dangling from it.  
“I had a feeling I should bring the keys I already had in my possession. Thought the best way to hide them was in plain sight. And no one would pay close attention to a piece of jewelry when it’s worn by a beautiful woman.” Nick grinned.


	13. Chapter 13

Adalind marveled at the turn her life had taken.   
For so long, she had been trying to take the key Nick possessed. They had threatened one another. Attacked one another. Tried to destroy one another. All because of that little trinket.  
And now, she had been entrusted with keeping not one, but two keys safe. The grimm himself having placed the delicate chain that held the keys around her neck.  
The keys were removed from the hexenbiest neck and from their chain.  
Miesner laid a large sheet of parchment paper on the kitchen table as well as some ink, enabling the group to figure how the keys would match up to form a map.  
“I think it is best I be on my way.” Alexander stated. “The little I know about this quest, the better.”  
“Are you taking the van you brought us in?” Monroe fretted. “How are all of us supposed to go anywhere if or when we need to?”  
“It’s alright.” Alexander assured. “There are two more vehicles here that are hidden. The van I am leaving here. Please take that when you return to the airport. I will be taking the small car I left here when Miesner showed me the place.”  
“I have a large truck here as well.” Miesner added. “Don’t worry. If we need to leave, we have transportation.”  
“Monroe? Worry? Surely you jest?” Nick said in an obvious mocking tone.  
Monroe glared at his friend, menacingly. Nick replied with a smirk, clearly unfazed.  
Seeing the exchange, Diana giggled. She then looked at her mother and said. “I like Nick, mommy. He’s funny.”  
Adalind smiled at her daughter, relieved that her little girl was already being taken in by the charms of the man she loved.  
Having noticed a bedroom, Adalind decided to grab the blanket, lay it on the cabin floor and give her children the chance to play and bond together while she kept an eye on them and helped out with the quest Nick had gotten himself into.  
Adalind then walked over to the table and looked at the the image created by the five keys.  
“That looks like the black forest. Or, actually, how it looked several hundred years ago.” She observed.  
“How do you know what the black forest used to look like?” Nick asked.  
Against her will, Adalind’s face turned a deep scarlet, and unfortunately, gave away the fact that her story was a bit personal and might be embarrassing.  
“In my early teens, I may have had a fascination with the grimm’s fairy tales and trying to prove their true origins. So many stories seemed to be centered around the Black Forest. I wondered if maybe the area held some sort of supernatural or magical properties.”  
“Well, if this map is telling us that whatever those seven grimms hid, they hid it somewhere close to the Black Forest, then your theories may have been right.” Monroe said, looking over the map. “I mean, it’s not completed, so the only way to know for your is to go there and look at the area covered by the missing keys.”  
“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Rosalee announced. She pointed to a cross on the map. “The seven grimms were the Knights Templar. They were men who were considered warriors of God. It would make sense that they would feel the safest place to hide the artifact in a church, on holy ground.”  
“From the Holy Land to sacred ground. Makes sense” Nick agreed. “But how can we be certain that the church still exists?”  
“If your ancestors chose that as the hiding place for the powerful artifact, it would have had significant importance.” Miesner said. There is a good chance they hid the object in an underground chamber. So even if the church was destroyed in some way, the underground tunnels would still exist. Even if a newer church was built on top of the old one. Doubtful anyone would take the time to remove stone, wood and morder. Especially if they thought they protected some one’s grave.”  
They looked online at modern maps of the area in question. And found a church that looked like it might fit the one they were looking for.  
“Unfortunately, I cannot go with you.” Miesner said. “If anyone recognized me, they would find it very suspicious. And as we don’t want anyone to know what you are up to, It’s best I stay behind. I will arrange for you to be able to leave for the U.S. the moment you have the item.”  
Nick nodded at Miesner in understanding and thanks. Then said, “We might be able to stay under suspicion if we pose as tourists on a family vacation.” He looked at Adalind, “Just parents taking their daughter and baby boy to experience the beauty of the German countryside.”  
Adalind smiled. She loved the idea of Her and Nick posing as a complete family.  
They made plans to head for the area the first thing in the morning.  
As a precaution, Adalind hid a dagger and a small pistol in Kelly’s diaper bag. Just in case they ran into anyone who violently objected to their presence.  
“Hopefully, we won’t need to use those.” Nick said with a sigh. “But I’d rather be safe than sorry.”  
“Dude, with our luck, it’s always best to be prepared for the worst case scenario.” Monroe stated.  
Everyone had to agree with the blutbad. Very rarely did anything for them go smoothly.  
So as they all settled in to bed that night, wanting to be fully rested for the adventure that lay ahead of them, each one of them prepared themselves mentally for all the dangers that could await. But also held the one that they loved close.  
MIesner gave Nick, Adalind and the children the largest bed, and the whole family snuggled together.  
Monroe and Rosalee laid on a cot. Each assuring the other that everything would be alright through gentle tender touches and kisses.  
Miesner took the couch. A weapon under his pillow, just in case some threat should come.  
Nick and Adalind watched the children nestled between them. Each one sleeping soundly. Not a single worry in the world to trouble their dreams.  
Just before they themselves drifted off, Nick took Adalind hand in his, pressed her knuckles to his lips, squeezed gently but firmly, and gave her a smile as they looked into each other’s eyes. Communicating silently that no matter what happened, they were a family, and they were going to stay together.


	14. Chapter 14

Both couples awoke early in the morning and prepared the van for what would look like a family trip.  
Though in truth, it kind of was.   
They were taking the children out to explore the German countryside. It’s just that it wasn’t all they were doing.  
A picnic basket was filled with food and a blanket was packed. They then loaded everything in the van, including fastening the still sleeping children in their respective car seats.  
Then they were headed out to what they hoped was the location of the missing artifact. An energy of nervous excitement buzzing through every adult.  
Monroe drove while Rosalee navigated. Adalind, wanting to spend every moment she could with her newly returned daughter, chose to sit in the back with her kids, Nick staying with her.  
The group made their way to the town closest to the area indicated on the map and found the oldest looking church there.  
Inside, they found a man cleaning.  
Monroe and Adalind, both being fluent in German, were the ones to smile and ask about the age of the church and if the family could be aloud to explore it.  
Nick, holding his son, could see the man woge from nervousness, revealing himself to be a mauzhertz.  
Seeing that he was in the presence of a blutbad, a hexenbiest, and a grimm, caused the mouse wesen to shriek and scurry into another room.  
“Well that went well.” Nick commented.  
“I thought with Nick holding a baby, he wouldn’t appear threatening!” Monroe said in irritation. “No one looks threatening when their holding a baby!”  
“I think he was intimidated by the fact there was also a hexenbiest and a blutbad with the grimm.” Rosalee offered to her husband.  
“People are afraid of us, mommy?” Diana, who was holding her mother’s hand, looked up at her and asked.  
“Oh, honey, “Adalind tried to reassure her daughter and explained, “Some people are afraid of those who seem stronger or more powerful. Not everyone chooses to be good and kind. And some hold the faults of some against all of those who look similar.”  
As the little girl was listening intently to her mother, Monroe was looking around at the architecture of the church.  
“Guys, I don’t think this church is old enough to be the one we want?” The blutbad said.  
“I think we should get out of here quickly.” Nick said. “I don’t know what exactly their saying, but there are a couple of men in the next room who sound very upset.”  
On their way out, Adalind gave Nick a questioning look and the grimm realized his hexenbiest didn’t know about a certain trait he possessed.  
“A while back, I was temporarily blinded.” He explained. “My hearing increased so much that I could hear what someone was saying through the earpiece of a phone that was in the next room. Even when my sight returned, my advanced hearing stayed. It’s been really useful in a large number of investigation.”  
Adalind’s eyes were wide with shock. “That’s really impressive. You get an injury and your body advances to compensate. Very remarkable.”   
Then a thought crossed her mind. A memory of a very cold day and emerging from a hot bath to find Nick preparing dinner.  
“Did you hear me singing while I was in the tub!” The hexenbiest asked with some fear, shock and embarrassment.  
Realizing there was no point in hiding the truth, Nick confessed. “You mean when you were singing that really slow version of “Your Song”, yep.” He grinned. Then, not wanting her to feel distressed about the situation, revealed, “I thought you were giving Kelly a bath, so I peaked in with the plan to help. When I saw you were in the tub, I couldn’t help but think you reminded me of a water nymph, or siren. You looked and sounded so beautiful. I couldn’t help staring for a moment. I was kind of caught in your spell.”  
Adalind blushed and beamed from the revelation and the compliment.  
Monroe and Rosalee exchanged looks. Him practically rolling his eyes. Her smiling.  
Diana wasn’t sure what her mom and Nick were talking about, but it was obvious that Nick had just made her mom happy, so Diana was happy about what he had said.  
They all load back into the van and decide to head higher into the mountain and deeper into the forest. Try to figure out how to find a much older church and stay hidden from suspicious locals.  
They found an area where they could park the van and hide it from obvious view. Nick carried Diana and Adalind carried Kelly as the group hiked further up. Monroe and Rosalee carried their picnic supplies, as well as the things they would need to go searching for buried treasure hidden among those supplies.  
“Nick?” Diana said. “There’s something really powerful close to us.”  
Every adult’s head turned to the little girl and Adalind asked, “Sweety, can you feel power?”  
Diana nodded. “Yes, mommy. “I always know when someone has magic. Like you. I know you have a lot of magic in you. I know that Uncle Monroe has a wolf in him and Aunt Rosalee has a fox in her.” She smiled. “I met a lot of people who have animals in them. Alexander has a white tiger in him.” Diana then looked at Nick. “You don’t have an animal in you. Or magic like mommy and me. But you’re powerful in a different way. I’ve never met someone with your power.”  
“You didn’t meet the grimm Meisner got the keys from?” Rosalee asked.  
Diana shook her head. “He had me stay with a really nice family that had bunny rabbits in them. He said I would be safe while he did what he needed to do.”  
“That was smart. Leaving her with a family. Anyone would think she was a friend of one of the children, or a visiting relative.” Monroe commented. Them the blutbad, realizing everything the little girl just announced, said with shock, “Wait, she can tell the nature of a being? She can sense magic and power? That’s totally unreal!”  
“My daughter is remarkable.” Adalind stated with finality, making it clear she would not accept anyone disrespecting her child.  
Monroe, realizing the very foolish mistake he made, tries to smooth it over. “What I meant to say is that it is really extraordinary what she can do. I was just surprised. Wesen children don’t start revealing their own special traits till puberty. Obviously Diana is a prodigy.”  
“What’s a prodigy?” Diana asked.  
“It what we call a child who is really talented at something. They are so good, that adults who have been practising for many many years are jealous because they can’t do what that child can do.” Nick explained.  
“Oh” Diana beamed, very pleased with the new name she was called.  
Peace once again restored in the group, Nick asked Diana to direct him to where she was sensing the source of great power.  
She guided them to what they realized was the ruins of a church.  
“This must be the church indicated by the map from the keys!” Monroe exclaimed.  
They looked around and soon found a way to access tunnels long buried.  
“It might be too dangerous to take the kids down there.” Nick said.  
“Why don’t Adalind and I set up a little picnic with the kids?” Rosalee suggested. “While you and Monroe look through the tunnels. If anyone comes by, we’ll just say our husbands are off being reckless while we sit and relax.”  
The rest agrees that it was a great idea. As much as she didn’t want to be separated from Nick, Adalind really didn’t want to but her children in danger. She felt her role as a mother had to come before her role as Nick’s lover. And it was something that Nick felt was very admirable about his hexenbiest.  
They all found a decent spot and helped set up a picnic. Nick and Monroe grabbed a couple sandwitches, and flashlights, then each kissed the woman they loved, Nick taking time to kiss his son and Diana a kiss each on the head, and were off to explore what could be hidden in the tunnels of the church ruins.


	15. Chapter 15

Nick and Monroe made their way down to the tunnels, turning on their flashlights as they started to descend. There was a very real concern of a cave in or maybe even some sort of trap set by those wanting to protect whatever was hidden.  
“People were really superstitious back then. Most likely the seven grimms hid whatever this thing is in one of the burial chambers, knowing that there was little chance of someone looking there.” Monroe advised.  
The two men turned on lanterns, propped them against the corners of the crypt and began to search every grave, searching among the bones for any sign of the artifact.  
Up at the picnic site, Adalind was visibly worried about Nick.  
“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Rosalee tried to comfort the blonde. “Those two have been getting in and out of trouble since before I met them.”  
Adalind gave a half smile. “Nick told me that Monroe was a huge help when he discovered he was a grimm. Nick hadn’t even know what a grimm was. Or anything about wesen. Monroe’s willingness to help him, helped Nick become the grimm he is.”  
Rosalee laughed. “Monroe says all the time that Nick wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for him. But he has also said that he wouldn’t be nearly as happy as he is now, if he hadn’t let Nick into his life. Nick was actually the one who introduced us.” The fuchsbau said with fondness.  
“I wish I would have known what kind of a man Nick was. Before I made a mess of my life. I did a lot of foolish things, all because I thought grimms were the enemy and the man I loved could do no wrong.” Adalind said with regret.  
“I’m sure you thought it was the right thing at the time.” Rosalee revealed her own mistakes. “I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I still got myself into some really bad situations anyway. I was an addict and become reckless, even dangerous. Did things I could never make right. But I hope I can learn from my past and make a better future. For myself, Monroe and our future kids.”  
Adalind’s eyes widened in shock. “Wow, I never would have guessed that about you. You have such a grace and wisdom about you. Nick never told me, does he know? I’m guessing Monroe must?”  
“Nick actually guessed first.” Rosalee breathed a giggle. “I don’t know whether it's because he’s a grimm or it’s just him. But that man is extremely perceptive.” With a touch of sadness in her eyes, she revealed. “My brother Freddie was murdered by addicts hooked on the same stuff I was. In order to find them, Nick said that we needed to look in the places addicts always held up when they were using. He was able to tell I used to be one and would know where such a place was in Portland. Monroe had been standing right there when Nick asked me where a location was. While had had seemed surprised at first. He still accepted me. Never looked down on me. Even seemed to understand. He told me he had his own demons, so he would never judge someone who was also trying to overcome theirs.”  
Adalind smiled. “Nick has been very forgiving of me. Gave me a chance, gave us a clean slate and a chance to start over and make the best life that we can for our son.” She looked at Diana, “He even got me back my daughter. I will never take for granted the life we’re starting to make. Or how lucky I am to have him in my life.”  
“Are you and Nick going to get married for real?” Diana asked.  
Adalind blushed. “I don;t no sweety. I guess Nick and I will figure that out. But it won’t be for a long long time. There’s a lot to so before we think about marriage.”  
Rosalee didn’t say it, but she felt it wouldn’t be as long as Adalind thought till Nick would be interested in putting a ring on her finger. Nick was a man who liked commitment. He wanted to put down roots. As deep as he could make them. He was a man who never wanted to let go. Especially the people he loved. If there was a chance Nick could have forever with someone, he would take it. Rosalee could see how much Nick cared for Adalind. How he had fallen in love with her. Doubtful he would run the risk of loosing her. Since he had already lost so many people he loved already. Nick had always fought hard for the ones he loved. He had fought hard for Juliette. Doing everything in his power to save their love. He would fight just as hard, if not harder, for Adalind. After all, she was the mother of his child. And that elevated her to goddess status in his eyes. Making her his wife would be something he was bound to do. And do soon.  
In the tunnels, NIck was thinking of Adalind and the life they were starting to build together. They had just found her daughter and would be getting to take her home with them. Just as soon as he and Monroe found whatever it was the Templars buried.  
The longer they spent in the tunnels, the more creeped out Monroe was feeling. He couldn’t help but think of every horror movie of the dead emerging from their crypts and going after any poor fool dumb enough to be around.  
Or those adventure quest movies where some poor schmuck stepped on the wrong stone and ends up getting sliced in two by a sword flying from a wall.  
The worst thing was, they had been searching for what felt like hours and they hadn’t found a single clue where the treasure was hidden.  
“Dude, this is pointless. We’ve searched everywhere. Wherever they hid this thing, they made sure it was impossible to find.”  
Nick looked around, digging deep into his grimm instincts, listening to them for a way to find what his ancestors had hidden.  
“We need to go back several hundred years.” He said.  
“We kind of are back several hundred years.” Monroe replied, pointing all around them at the centuries old crypt.  
Nick looked at Monroe. “No, we need to be in their mind frame several hundred years ago! You said they were really superstitious back then. That no one would ever come down here because they would be too scared. And they certainly wouldn’t come down here without light.”  
“No, they wouldn’t.” Monroe said, trying to hide his nervousness on where he suspected the crazy grimm was going with this. “They would be too scared of the dark.”  
“We need to turn off the lights.” Nick said a little too excitedly in Monroe’s opinion. An almost gleeful smile on the raven haired man’s face.  
The crazy grimm then proceeds to turn off his own flashlight and the lanterns in the corner.  
Monroe reluctantly turns his own flashlight off and the room was plunged into darkness.  
“Dude? I hope that is your hand.”  
“Look, the skulls. They’re glowing.”  
Seven skulls glowed in the darkness on an area that both had assumed was just another stack of skeletons like on so many other places around the crypt.  
“They form a “G”.” Monroe observed. “G for grimm!”  
They turned the lights back on, got out the shovels and began to dig.  
“Think about it man! We have just found what so many have been searching centuries for! Where they have failed, we have succeeded! We have done in just a short amount of time what the royals have been trying to do for hundreds of years! We are actually unearthing history!”  
Nick looked at Monroe pointedly.  
“Right.” The blutbad calmed himself. “Let’s get this thing out of here before we start celebrating.”  
They unearthed a chest about the size of a bread box.  
“I thought it would be bigger?” Monroe stated with puzzlement. “You know, since it had been the cause of so much chaos.”  
“We need all seven keys to open it.” Nick said when he saw the seven locks. “We’ll just have to take the chest with us. We can find out what’s inside at the spice shop.”  
“Good. The sooner we get out of here, the better.” Monroe said with relief.  
Nick grinned. “What’s wrong, aren’t you enjoying this visit to your ancestral land?”  
“Not when it involves walking through rat and spider infested tunnels. Or You and your baby mama casting longing looks at one another and smelling like you’re about to jump each other any moment.”  
Nick had the courtesy not to respond. He was feeling generous from the knowledge that Adalind desired him just as much as he desired her, and that their attraction was so obvious.  
He was very tired of being the only one in love and fighting for the relationship.  
They put the chest safely in the backpack and headed back to the surface.  
They realized the sun had already set when they reached the top and headed to where the women and kids were waiting.  
Adalind and Rosalee had bundled themselves and the kids in the extra blankets they had brought and were very grateful for.  
The two men rushed to their woman and hugged them tight.  
“Whatever the artifact is, it’s locked tight in a chest. Nick had to put the whole chest in his bag.” Monroe informed the women.  
“Then let’s gather everything up and head out of here. The sooner we’re back in Portland, the better.” Rosalee said.  
Nick messaged Miesner that they needed to be leaving Germany. He got a message back that six plane tickets would be waiting for them when they arrived at the airport.  
Unfortunately, there were a number of locals who were very suspicious why a grimm and three wesen were so close to the ruins of an old church.  
They attacked the group. Four headed straight for Nick, trying to rip his bag from him while two more went after Monroe. Others went after the women, smiling as if they were easy targets, only to be very surprised when they put up a bigger fight than anticipated. Rosalee woging to use tooth and claw to defend herself.  
Adalind levitated rocks and branches at the men who came after her and Rosalee. But she was so focused on those in front of her, that she missed the man sneaking up behind her.  
However, Diana did not.  
“You leave my mom and brother alone!” The little girl shouted and threw the man hard against a tree some distance away.  
That group of attacker were all knocked out cold, but there was concern of more, so they all agreed without speaking to get as fast as they could to the car and out of Germany.  
This time Nick took the wheel, and was able to get them to the airport in an impressive amount of time.  
Nick thought it wise to keep his bag with the chest with him as a carry on. Thankfully, no one seemed to find whatever was in there suspicious.  
During the plane ride, Adalind continuously smiled at her daughter and baby boy sleeping soundly in the seats between her and Nick.  
“We might have to start looking for a house, soon.” Nick said fondly as he too gazed at the sleeping children. “The loft is the safest place but it might not be the best place for a full family.” He looked at Adalind. “Privacy issues.”  
Adalind blushed, understanding completely what he meant. The close space was fine while they were just starting getting used to one another and they only had a baby to consider. But an older child could wander and explore anytime they wanted. Even if the parents thought they were asleep.  
But that could wait, and they could just make sure to be quiet and careful for the time being. At the moment, they had other concerns. Like learning about the extraordinary abilities Diana seemed to possess. And finding out whatever mystery lied with whatever was inside that chest.  
Anticipation getting the best of all of them, they decided to head straight to the spice shop once they landed in Portland.  
Nick made sure to message Hank and Wu, telling them that they had found something and that they should meet them at the spice shop.  
For the time being, he thought it best to not tell Renard. He also decided to leave it up to Adalind when she wanted to let him know Diana was with them.  
Once at the spice shop, Nick thought it best to open the chest in the basement, where there was the least likely chance of someone uninvited walking in on them.  
Hank and Wu arrived just as Nick had picked the lock of two of the slots, the ones that they didn’t have the keys for.  
He gave a key each to Monroe, Rosalee, Hank and Wu. Nick took the middle key while Adalind stood behind him holding their son in her arms and stood next to her.  
The keys were turned and there were five simultaneous clicks. Nick took hold of the lid and lifted, only to be met with resistance. As hard as he pulled, he could not take the lid off the chest.  
“I don’t understand? Every lock clicked. Why won’t it open?” Nick said with frustration.  
“There seems to be some kind of seal around it.” Hank observed.  
“What kind of seel lasts for centuries?” Wu questioned.  
“One that the seven grimms wanted to make sure could not be broken.” Rosalee said.  
“Nick, your blood.” Adalind spoke. “Grimms blood has power. You and I both know what it can do.”  
The event where Nick’s blood took Adalind’s powers popped into their minds.  
Rosalee got a knife and handed it to Nick. He cut his finger open and slid it around the seam of the chest.  
“If this doesn’t work, I’m getting a hacksaw!” Monroe said, his own frustration and excitement surfacing.  
Suddenly, there was a pop and dust flew from the chest.  
Everyone stood straighter with excitement and anticipation as he was able to remove the lid and reveal the contents inside.  
Only to feel a little deflated when all that could be seen was some kind of cloth.  
“I really hope there’s more in there.” Wu said.  
Nick picked up the cloth and unfurled it, revealing that it was wrapped around some kind of stick.  
“A stick? Who buries a stick? Unless, you know, some kind of dog wesen?” Monroe near shouted.  
Diana giggled, thinking the wolf man was very funny.  
“Could be some kind of stick-mata,” Wu said, then regretting it immediately, “Sorry, that was a terrible pun.”  
“It could belong to something bigger, of importance?” Hank theorized.  
“Like a branch from the tree of knowledge, of good and evil.” Rosalee said, understanding where he was going with that thought.  
“Like with Adam and Eve?” Monroe furrowed his brows. “Great, so we might have something that will open the portal to hell.”  
“Well let’s not open the portal to Hell here in Portland.” Nick said, about to set the stick pack in the chest.  
Just then, Monroe stumbled back. Rosalee rushed to him. “Honey, what’s wrong?” She asked with fear and concern rising.  
“I don’t feel so good. My arm is starting to throb.” Monroe said, voice wavering.  
His sleeve his pushed up and a bite mark is revealed on his arm.  
“I’m a blutbad, I thought it would be fine.” He said as he fainted.  
Panicked, everyone rushed to him with the intent to get him to the hospital. Then they all heard Diana say, “It’s alright. Nick healed him.”  
Sure enough, the wound that had seemed so infected had miraculously closed. Leaving not even a trace of a scar, only slight smears of blood to show that there had been anything there at all.  
It was also realized that Nick still had ahold of the stick, and he was pressing right against the arm where the horrible wound had been.  
They all looked at one another in shock. Monroe woke up. “Hey, what happened?”  
“Your wound, it’s gone.” Rosalee said in awe.  
“That stick is pretty special after all.” Wu commented.  
Nick stared at the stick in shock. He then remembered the cloth it was wrapped in and decided to take a second look at it.  
“There’s some writing here.” He sighed. “But I can’t make it out.”  
“We’ll have to find someone who can run tests.” Adalind suggested. “The writing that I can make out, it’s not a language that has been spoken in a very long time.”  
“But I don’t get it? If the stick can heal people, why hide it?” Monroe said.  
“There’s got to be a lot more to that stick and what it can do.” Rosalee said.  
“It’s probably best that thing stays hidden until we get some answers.” Hank suggested.  
“Don’t worry.” All eyes turn to Diana as the little girl announced. “As long as Nick has it, Everything will be alright.”


	16. Chapter 16

Before they started their investigation of the magic stick, Nick and Adalind decided to notify Renard that Diana had been returned.  
Adalind wasn’t happy about Sean getting anywhere near her daughter, but Nick advised her that it would be better to tell him right away, before he heard from some other source that a little blonde child was seen in Adalind’s company while she was running errands.  
So after hiding the chest containing the stick in the tunnels, they call Sean and asked if he would meet them at Monroe and Rosalee’s home.  
The blutbad and fuchsbau offering to host the father daughter reunion, as a form of neutral and friendly territory.  
It was agreed by all involved to not tell Renard about the stick. All that he was informed about was that Nick had called in a favor to the wesen council and Diana had been found and given back.  
Monroe commented on the wisdom of withholding information by saying, “The guy tends to take the easy way out. He doesn’t want to appear as week so he hides a lot of important information. What to keep him from trying to gain favor with the royals by giving them that weird stick?”  
No one had argued his point.  
Sean arrived at the time requested and was ushered to the couch.  
Adalind looked to Nick to take the lead, so he began.  
“I called in a favor to the wesen council. They came through with what I asked. That’s why I was gone. And the reason Adalind went with me. I asked the council to find Diana. They did.”  
On hearing those words, Sean sat up strater and looked around.  
Rosalee and Monroe, who had been waiting and listening with the little girl in the kitchen, came out on their cue.  
Diana ran to Sean and the extremely tall man picked her up and held her tight.  
Everyone looked on as the always put together half royal was near trembling with emotion.  
Renard sat down with his daughter in his lap, unwilling to let her go.  
Nick decided to tell Sean just how special the little girl was.  
“She is really powerful. She can move things with her mind already. Just like Adalind. But she can also see wesen, even when they aren’t woged. She is extremely powerful, but I haven’t seen her woge. The only thing that changes about her is that her eyes glow violet.”  
Diana beamed up at her father proudly. “Uncle Monroe said I was a prodigy.”  
“Uncle Monroe?” Sean questioned with a raised eyebrow.  
“Monroe and Rosalee are like family. Diana is with us now, so they will be like family to her.” Adalind spoke defensively.  
Sensing that a conversation needed to take place before his hexenbiest exploded, Nick suggested, “Diana, why don’t you have uncle Monroe show you all of the really cool clocks he has upstairs? They make all kinds of different noises.”  
The little girl jumped off her father’s lap and headed upstairs with the blutbad.  
“I take it Adalind has something she wants to say?” Sean made the mistake of speaking with annoyance, setting off an already angry hexenbiest.  
“I don’t trust you, Sean! What’s to keep you from taking my daughter from me again!”  
“Our daughter.” Sean attempts to defend.  
“I gave birth to her!” Adalind shouts angrily. “You stole her from me and sent her away! As far as I’m concerned. You gave up your rights as a father!”  
Sean looked to Nick, as if hoping for the other man to help. “I said it too many times already, I was trying to protect Diana. Nick, you know this. You agreed to help.”  
“I’m sorry sir.” Nick said to Renard. “But I have to back Adalind up on this. At the time, I believed you and my mother. I thought Diana would be safest with her. But that decision set off a chain of events that turned my entire life upside down. First I lost my powers. Then I lost Juliette. Then I lost my mother. You’ll have to excuse me if I have serious doubts about your wisdom. Your decision came at a great cost to me. I had doubts about Adalind’s ability to be a mother, but I don’t have any of those doubts anymore. And frankly, now that I’m a father, I really can’t understand how you could give up your child without a fight? I would kill anyone who tried to take my son from me. So if your looking for my help, you need to look somewhere else.”  
Renard sighed, realizing he was in a losing battle. “What can I do to be able to spend time with our daughter?” He said, deciding to say our instead of mine, not wanting to irritate Adalind further.  
“I want to perform a trust me knot.” Adalind stated. “That way, if either one of us is involved in any way shape or form of trying to take Diana away from the other, that person will face deadly consequences.”  
Rosalee brought out the rope and handed one end to Renard and the other end to Nick and Adalind.  
Sean raised his brow at seeing the united front the two former enemies were presenting.  
“I never realized the two of you would fall in love with one another.” Sean commented.  
“And I won’t be making the same mistakes you did.” Nick replied. “Now that I know what it’s like to be loved by her, I am seriously doubting your sanity.”  
Sean chose not to reply, fearing what else the younger man might say.  
Adalind’s irritation had calmed and she was now standing smug and proud at the words expressed by the man she adored.  
They went through with the ritual of the trust me knot, each vowing to never attempt to take Diana away from the other. Whether or not by physical force or conspiracy.  
The rope turned itself into a noose and the spell was in place.  
Adalind was assured that if Sean tried to conspire to seal her daughter again, he will be choked on the spot.  
With that knowledge came relief, and she felt she could discuss how they would parent their remarkable child.  
“For now, I’m willing to alternate nights on who Diana spends time with.” Adalind said. “One night with Nick and me, the other night with you.”  
“That’s fair.” Sean agreed. “But if there are several nights in a row, where I can’t have her do to meetings, I would like the chance to make up that time.”  
Adalind sighed, calming herself, she didn’t like the idea of her daughter being away from her for several nights in a row, but knew she would have to learn to compromise. “That’s fair.” She said with reluctance. Then decided to offer another olive branch by saying, “If we plan any group activities for fun, like cookouts, picnics or carnivals, we will invite you.”  
Sean smiled and nodded. “Thank you. That will mean a lot to me.”  
Any love she had ever felt for the man was long gone, but for their daughter’s sake, Adalind knew she couldn’t hold on to her anger and resentment.  
It wouldn’t be fair to Diana.  
And it could hurt in building a future with Nick, if she became too focused on her past with Sean.  
The the parents of Diana agreed to be civil to one another.   
It was just a few days later when Nick saw Trubel.  
The last time he had remembered the young grimm, was when they had gone to the mansion where the royals had been staying, in an attempt to get Diana back from them.  
He always wondered why she disappeared after that.  
And then he saw her.  
On a case involving wesen and stolen antiques, Nick and Hank ended up in the middle of some kind of wesen family feud.  
There was a dispute where one family claimed the other family owed them one hundred thousand dollars. And that was why members of one family robbed the houses of members of the other family.  
As with most disputes, things escalated quickly, and Hank and Nick found themselves trying to keep the two families from killing each other. They had gotten most settled down and backup was on its way to take the thieves and anyone who had thrown a punch, (or scratched or bite, these were wesen after all) to lockup until a judge and lawyers could straighten the mess out.  
One young idiot had decided to run, as if the detectives didn’t already know his name and where he lived. Nick had given chase.  
And that’s when Nick literally ran into Trubel.  
He ended up knocking, her, the young idiot and himself to the ground.  
Moving with the speed given to him by his grimm ancestors, Nick cuffed the wesen runner, and grabbed ahold of Trubel, and escorted them both back to where Hank, the rest of the wesen wrong doers and backup were waiting.  
Though he was surprised to see Trubel, Hank could tell by the look on Nick’s face that the younger detective needed to stay back and have a word with his protege.  
Hank promised to cover for Nick, and left with the rest of the police, calling a “Nice to have you back.” over his shoulder at Trubel.  
“Trubel, where have you been?” Nick said in confusion and concern, the moment the two grimms were alone. “I’ve been so worried about you. You just disappeared without a word. I was afraid something bad had happened to you.”  
“I couldn’t stick around. I couldn’t face you. I did something, Nick. Something I know you can never forgive me for.” The young woman’s voice shook with fear and shame.  
“What on earth could you have done that would ever make you think I would want you out of my life?”  
“I had to kill Juliette.” Trubel sobbed. “She was going to kill you. When you left the house the royals were staying at. Juliette, followed you. She used you to find out where you were keeping Adalind. Nick, she was going to kill Adalind and your son right in front of you. I saw her look at you with nothing but hate and anger. I used a crossbow to do it. I’m sorry. I know you believe in helping everyone, but I couldn’t let her keep hurting you. She had already taken your mother. I didn’t want her taking your son.”  
Nick reached out and pulled Trubel tight in his arms. While he there was a part of him that mourned for the woman he had once loved, a greater part of him was pleased to know the monster she had become would no longer be a threat to his family. The fact that she had used him to find his unborn child with the purpose of killing another member of his family, showed the evil being she had become.  
So he stroked the young she grimm’s hair and said softly. “It’s alright. You did what you had to do. You protected me, Adalind and our baby. And I could never be angry at you for that.” He pulled back a little to look at her face, smiled tenderly and asked. “Will you stick around now?”  
“You have a family now, Nick.” Trubel said, sadness clear in her voice. “I don’t want to intrude on that.”  
“Trubel.” Nick lovingly scolded. “You’re my family, too. I’ve been so worried about you. Hoping that you would come home soon. I want you in my life. I want everyone I love to be as close to me as can be possible.” A wide grin on his face, he said, “We have Adalind’s daughter now. I’m sure she would be very impressed with you.”  
Nick took Trubel to the loft and was relieved when she and Adalind showed no signs of being awkward with one another.  
And chuckled to himself when he saw Trubel had a lot of awkwardness around baby Kelly.  
Wide grin on his face, Nick asked what Trubel had been up to all this time.  
“Josh still hasn’t inherited any grimm abilities and he said he wanted to be away from that life anyway. That it was too dangerous.” Trubel explained. “Some people from the government recruited me and now I kind of do freelance work for them. Grimms are rare. Grimms who get along with wesen easily are really rare. They asked me to come and convince you to join them. They said you could be like me. Mostly freelance. Choose your hours and if you don’t want an assignment, you can reject it. I think they’re desperate for grimms to be on their side. They’re kind of willing to do anything.” Trubel looked at the floor in shame. “I was supposed to talk to you a while ago, but I was to much of a coward to face you. After what I did to Juliette.”  
“Trubel. Stop.” Nick said softly. “I told you. You did the right thing. Your not a coward either. You’re one of the bravest people I know.” He pulled her in, hugged her tight, kissed the top of her head, then leaned back and said, “Tomorrow, we’ll talk more about this freelance job offer and what all that entails. But tonight, I think we should all try to get to know one another more. I’m sure Adalind would love to know more about your life. And I think you will find hers pretty interesting, too.”  
Nick and Adalind fixed dinner while Trubel filled them in on what her life had been like for the past few months. Diana listened intently and would chime in with her own experiences whenever Trubel mentioned meeting a wesen the little girl had also encountered.  
Kelly stayed in his crib and made funny baby noises.  
It wasn’t long before a sense of peace and calm fell over the group. Sadness, shame and fear were long gone and everyone was able to enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening.  
That night, as everyone was settled into bed, Nick saw an interesting smile spread on Adalind’s face. “What’s going through that mind of yours?” He asked.  
“First we brought my daughter home, and now we have yours.” She grinned.  
Nick chuckled, pulled her close and placed a kiss on her head. “Our little family. One like me, one like you, and one to be determined.”


	17. Chapter 17

Nick met with those in charge of the organization setup to monitor wesen behavior.  
To his surprise, they were very excited to meet him.   
They explained that grimms were very rare, and grimms who respected wesen seem to be even more rare. They had unfortunately come across a couple of grimms who not only refused to work with wesen, but had also outright threatened those wesen that tried to recruit them.  
But they still wanted grimms to join their team because grimms had special qualities that many wesen feared and or respected.  
Grimms were also considered neutral in the wesen community, which made them the perfect beings to settle any inter species political disputes.  
“We are aware of how you handled an incident involving eisbiber.” One official stated. “We found it highly impressive how you were able to gain the trust and adoration of Portland’s eisbiber community, and still dispatch the two reapers sent after you. Surely you have already proven yourself to be an exceptional grimm. And we would be foolish to pass on the opportunity to have you work with us.”  
And that was how Nick found himself on another government funded groups payroll. Not only would he still be investigating crimes in Portland, but sometimes he could be sent to resolve whatever issue arose that needed his expertise, even if that conflict could be in a separate country.  
When he told them about Adalind and how she had a law degree, they jumped at the chance of working with a powerful hexenbiest who understood the law and may even be able to use the law to their advantage.  
With the knowledge that Nick had a number of wesen friends who helped him solve wesen crimes in Portland, the wesen government group became even more interested in having Nick be a part of their team, as well as his wesen allies.  
In Nick’s mind, this was shaping up to be a family affair.  
His smile was big and bright as he drove home that evening. After pining away for decades, wanting a family so desperately, Nick basked in the knowledge that he was no longer that lonely little boy.  
He had lots of friends and his family was growing.  
And wasn’t that something. His family consisted of a beautiful and cunning hexenbiest who used to be his enemy, and now he couldn't bare the idea of living without her, her even more powerful daughter, that she had with his boss, a twenty three year old female grimm, and his adorable baby boy, his son who, being still a baby, hadn’t manifested any powers or abilities.  
The family Nick had never anticipated, but they were his and he wouldn’t want it any other way.  
Adalind realized that she had underestimated how much would change once her daughter was back with her.  
She had anticipated that adjustments would have to be made, and that she would be doubly busy with a second child in her care. She had not anticipated Nick’s protege, Trubel featuring into the mix.  
While she had known Nick would be a good father, she hadn’t expected him to be one to Diana.  
But Adalind was never so happy to be wrong.  
Nick did not treat Diana as if she were an intruder into the family. Nor did he walk on eggshells around her, as if he were afraid of her or intimidated by her.  
Instead, he greeted her warmly every morning and every evening when he got home from work. He always had a hug for the little girl and often kissed her on the top of her head.  
The same gestures of affection he would always give to Kelly.  
And to Trubel.  
There had been a moment when Adalind had thought that maybe the she grimm harbored a crush on Nick. It had caused a few seconds of concern and jealousy to touch the hexenbiest heart.  
But it was obvious that the bond Nick and Trubel had was more familiar.  
It was clear as day that the young woman practically worshipped Nick.   
He had a protective and near father demeanor whenever he was near her or talked about her.  
It made Adalind fall even deeper in love with Nick, seeing the way he was with the two girls.  
Making dinner, Adalind couldn’t keep the smile off her face as he thought about her expectations versus her reality.  
She had expected tension and awkwardness, at least for a little while.  
The reality was no tension, no awkwardness, just the normal chaos that comes with family.  
With her being so skinny, Adalind hadn’t realized Trubel would be a big eater.  
The hexenbiest had no problem providing the food, but she did wonder if she had a right to suggest better table manners, wanting a better example set for Diana.  
Their first meal as a family had Adalind witness the way the she grimm had a tendency to shove food in her mouth, talk with it full, and use her shirt as a napkin.  
Adalind didn’t say anything because she didn’t think it was her place, and she knew Nick was probably just happy to have Trubel back in his life.  
But the next morning, when Trubel had stuffed her pancakes in her mouth, dropped butter and maple syrup down her shirt and hadn’t bothered with a napkin, Adalind decided to talk to Nick about how best to handle the situation.  
Nick had chuckled and promised to have a talk with Trubel. He said he understood that they did need to set a good example for Diana and he would mention that when he spoke to the she grimm.  
With Diana, Adalind found herself with a completely different set of concerns.  
“Diana, if you don’t stop making your brother fly, I will take your dolls away.” Adalind reprimanded her daughter.  
She was certain that no other parent in the history of the world had to say that to their child.  
Diana was very powerful, and it was nothing to her to make things happen. Adalind found herself constantly have to explain why it wasn’t a good idea to make one’s sibling levitate or project one’s image into Nick’s truck, just because you wanted to ask him where he put the crayons.  
That had been an interesting phone call. Nick telling Adalind that it was only do to his quick grimm reflexes that had kept him from crashing his truck on the way to a crime scene.  
Adalind had taken Diana to the precinct, along with Kelly of course, into Renards office, and the three adults had to sit and explain to Diana that it was dangerous to project herself into peoples vehicles, and that the next time she wanted to talk to someone, she should just use a cell phone.  
Once she understood that Nick could have gotten hurt, Diana had apologized and promised not to do that again.  
The little girl liked her mom’s boyfriend and didn’t want him getting hurt, at all.  
So while she promised to never project herself into Nick’s car again, she did not promise to never project herself anywhere else.  
That little loopwhole allowed her the opportunity to visit Nick when he was in the middle of a fight with a couple of hundjager.  
Diana had noticed her mother was a little on edge, even though she tried to hide it.  
Adalind had kept holding Kelly very close to her, whispering that his daddy would be home that night.  
But her voice had trembled slightly, and any smile she gave never quite reached her eyes.  
So Diana, wondering what was keeping Kelly’s daddy from being home already, focused on him and projected herself. Then, seeing the two wesen, actually yelled at them to leave her brother’s daddy alone, that her mom wanted him to come home.  
All three men were caught by surprise, but the grimm, being used to this behavior, recovered quickly and used the distraction to knock the two wesen out.  
Later, once the hundjager were locked up for assaulting a police officer and Nick had returned to the loft, he chuckled to Adalind.  
“She’s as crafty and as stubborn as her mother.” He gave her a peck on the lips, softening his words, and continued, “You should have seen the looks on their faces when a little girl, wearing a nightgown, appeared in the middle of an old warehouse and just started yelling at them that her mom’s boyfriend was needed at home and that they should stop making him late.”  
Adalind sighed. “It’s going to be so hard to give her a normal life. How are we supposed to send her to school, when there’s a chance she could project herself to the teachers house, just to ask about a homework assignment?”  
Nick wrapped an arm around Adalind. “Hey, don’t worry. You, Monroe and Rosalee are the most knowledgeable people I know. We have a lot of wesen friends with wesen children, so Diana will never be short of social interaction. There are plenty of ways to give Diana everything she will need in life, we’ll just have to be a little more creative about it than we would if she didn’t have powers.”  
Adalind had allowed herself to be comforted by Nick for a while, just enjoying the feel of him holding her and resting her head on his shoulder.  
But when you have children, quiet moments don’t last long, and soon the couple found themselves dealing with the next crisis.  
The best part, in Adalind’s mind, was the fact that Nick seemed to take everything in stride. Nothing through him off. At least not for long. Any new information was processed and handled quickly.  
Not once did Nick ever treat Diana like she was any different from any other child.  
Never once did he utter the phrase, “You need to control your daughter!”  
The only thing he said that would be considered close was, “Diana, listen to your mother.” And that was said without looking at the girl, while he was changing Kelly and Adalind had just scolded her daughter. The mother of the two children sounding as if she were at her wits end.  
Nick had then drawn Adalind a hot bath and tld her he would get the kids ready for bed that night.  
When she was about to apologize for getting worked up, he assured her everything was alright and said, “At least at work, if people frustrate me, I can slap handcuffs on the and lock them in a cell. WIth my grimm duties, I can knock people out and cut off their heads. I get plenty of outlets for my frustrations. You’re pretty limited.”  
By the time Adalind was done with her bath, the kids were sound asleep. Nick had pulled the, gotten a towel, scooped Adalind up, wrapped the towel around her and carried her to their bed.  
He had taken his time, kissed every inch of her. Drinking up the little droplets of water that still clung to her body. Nick near worshipped her as he slowly and gently made love to her. Giving her the best way possible to relieve stress.  
Adalind had to grab a pillow and press it over her mouth to muffle the sounds of her ecstasy. Nick nipped gently along her thighs, making his way closer and closer to her juncture, where she was practically throbbing with her need.  
She screamed when his mouth latched onto her little bud. The sound blessedly muffled by the pillow.  
He made his way up her body, keeping his hand pressed over her center ad he lavished each breast with attention.  
Tiny bursts of pleasure continuously coursed through Adalind's frame, causing it to arch and tremble with Nick;s every touch.  
The pillow was ripped away from her and Nick’s mouth took its place. His lips never left hers as he slid himself slowly inside her. His thrust were deep but his rhythm was slow, forcing little gasps from the woman beneath him each time he was fully inside her.  
She squeezed his shoulders and arched herself into him, meeting him in every move as they danced that carnal dance.  
Nick’s arms tightened around her, his thrusts became more forceful and increased in speed. Soon, he was pounding into her and Adalind was grateful his lips never left her as she was unable to hold in her cries of euphoria.  
Though in truth, neither could Nick, and the two tasted and felt the other’s signals of release as they called out their completion.  
Nick pulled the blanket over them and held Adalind as she snuggled against him.  
Adalind smiled with contentment.  
She had both of her children, and was in the arms of the man she loved. Life may always be chaotic, but she felt as long as she had her family, life would always be perfect.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reviewer had me thinking of the Blind Love episode and the muse inspired me to write it early. I was arguing with my muse, trying to get her to understand it was not time yet, but she insisted. I gave in because it was delaying an update. So the chapters will not be in the same timeframe of the series episodes. I hope you will forgive me and still enjoy the story. Also, because the episode was a play on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I included some lines from that story.

Monroe’s birthday was coming up, and Rosalee wanted to do something special for him. She wanted his birthday to be completely stress free. But that was going to be difficult.  
With the return of Trubel and Diana, plus Nick now doing freelance work for a secret government organization(That he had told the whole gang about and suggested that their wisdom and help would be appreciated.) Plus deciphering the markings on the cloth and understanding the miracle stick.  
Rosalee felt that the only way to ensure a peaceful birthday for her husband, was to get him out of the city and away form the responsibilities of their life for a weekend.  
That did not mean she wanted to get them away from their friends.  
So she talked with them and arranged for the whole group to stay at a beautiful mountain top hotel.  
She invited Sean Renard as well, remembering that he was to be included with group activities. When she called him, he told her his mother was coming in and asked if it would be alright to have her there as well.  
Rosalee saw no problem with it, she and Monroe had like Elizabeth when they met her, but suggested to Renard that he better explain everything, including Nick and Adalind’s romance to his mother, to avoid any awkward situations.  
A discussion was also was needed in regard to whose room Diana would be sleeping in. Elizabeth suggested she and Sean get a multi room suite. That way, Nick and Adalind could have some privacy. She even offered to watch Kelly, in case the couple wanted to spend some time alone.  
“I want to get to know my grandaughter. And I’m sure she loves her little brother, so it would be nice to witness how she is with him.”  
Adalind felt a little uneasy about letting her children out of her sight, Elizabeth understood her concerns, and went through the trust me knot ritual as a way of showing that she meant no harm. Elizabeth decided it was best to play nice with Adalind, for Diana’s and Sean’s sake. She might not like or respect the younger hexenbiest, but if Nick was willing to forgive and look past all that had happened, to the extent of actually falling for Adalind, then Elizabeth felt she would be acting petty and be considered a lesser person if she didn’t show compassion and respect.  
Adalind realized she was worrying over nothing and told Elizabeth that she and Nick would like to take the woman up on her offer.  
Having a hotel room all to themselves would be nice, as it meant the couple wouldn’t have to worry about being quiet.  
With that potential tension and awkwardness resolved, Monroe’s birthday weekend was shaping up to be fun for everyone.  
Unfortunately, someone connected to Nick’s past was working at the hotel Rosalee chose. Someone who harbored a grudge against the detective.  
The weekend started out nice enough, with everyone arriving at the hotel at about the same time.  
It was a beautiful place that offered amazing views and everyone was impressed. When they were shown their rooms, Nick was especially impressed with the queen size bed he would be sharing with Adalind. It looked like it was practically begging the two of them to crawl in and enjoy themselves.  
At dinner, they each talked about how they each had met Monroe. The common denominator being Nick, who had crashed into the Blutbad’s life (Literally), turned his world upside down and made it so very much more fulfilling. And that included introducing him to the woman he loved and so many wonderful friends.  
“I don’t think I would be having this birthday weekend if you hadn’t tackled me that day.” Monroe told Nick.  
“I don’t think I would be here either.” Nick replied. “Pretty sure if it weren’t for you, I would have been killed during my first month of being a grimm.”  
Rosalee smiled. “When Monroe told me about how he had been helping Nick with his grimm duties, I almost couldn’t believe it. Growing up, all wesen hear is how dangerous grimms are. But when my brother was killed and I needed protection, a grimm introduced me to his blutbad friend. One of the worst times of my life was made better by a very perceptive grimm and a sweetheart of a blutbad. Unheard of in the wesen community. And my life has been made better ever since.”  
“You know, Portland is still intact thanks in part tp Monroe.” Renard commented.  
At the questioning looks of all but, Rosalee, Nick and Monroe, Sean explained. “Our city ended up getting a visit from a being made entirely of volcano lava. Nick’s grimm books called it Volcanalis. Because some geologists took some volcanic rocks, the being started going after them. Monroe helped with luring the thing to a warehouse and we all sprayed it with nitrous oxide. That turned the whole thing solid and we were able to smash it to dust. It became one of those cases we had to handle off the books.”  
“If we had put volcano monster in any report, we would have been sent straight to the mental hospital.” Nick said with a grin.  
“I bet there was a lot of stuff you couldn’t put in a report.” Adalind guessed.  
“Tell me about it. Once Nick introduced me to the wesen world, and to Monroe, I started having to edit every report. I couldn’t say, “Kidnappers turned into coyotes” or “Blutbad showed us the location of suspects by sniffing out their trail.” Hank said.  
:A lot of our cases wouldn’t have been solved in time to save a life, if it hadn’t of been for Monroe.” Nick said with a warm look at his best friend. “Thanks to him, a little girl was returned to her family and a man who hunted girls in red was stopped, permanently.” Nick looked at those who didn’t know. “The first case I worked as a grimm. I made a mistake, going after Monroe first. Accusing him, all because I had seen him woge and my instincts were telling me to be suspicious of someone with that nature.”  
“You were right about the species. You just had the wrong wolf. So to speak.” Monroe added.  
“I guess it was a good thing I continued to be suspicious. It made me meet you and then pester you into helping me.”  
“Again, and again, and again.” Monroe couldn’t help but supply.  
That got a laugh from everyone at the table.  
“It’s so crazy how everything turned out.” Trubel observed.  
“Sounds like a fair trade to me.” Wu said. “Monroe helped Nick with his cases and in return Nick helped Monroe with his love life.”  
“That’s right.” Rosalee quood at her husband then mocked pouted. “Or don’t you think I’m worth going through everything Nick put you through.”  
“Oh, honey” Monroe was wise enough to reply. “I’d go through all of that a hundred times for you.”  
More chuckles came from everyone at the table. Everyone enjoying the banter of the evening. And no one having a clue of the waiter adding a little something extra to their drinks.  
And when they all turned in for the night, no one suspected the chaos that awaited them the next day.  
In the morning, everyone woke feeling very strange.  
And with a very strong craving for coffee.  
The idea to spend the morning lounging in was forgotten as each member of the group made their way to the dining area.  
The moment Elizabeth caught sight of Nick, she was struck by what a handsome man he was. She wondered how she could have been so blind to not see it before. She loved him.  
But Nick wasn’t looking at her, he was gazing adoringly at Rosalee. His heart leaped at the sight of her. His beautiful fuchsbau.  
Rosalee, however was staring at the striking figure that was Sean Renard. Though his eyes could not move away from Adalind, and he was regretting everything he had ever done that drove her away from him.  
Adalind’s eyes followed Monroe, who was staring at Elizabeth like she was a goddess.  
Diana watched the adults with growing confusion. Nothing about their behavior made sense to her.  
Thankfully, mom and Nick were not so lost in the strange delusion that they forgot to check Kelly into the daycare the hotel offered. They signed Diana up for the children’s program, but the little girl slipped away easily. Feeling that the adults were going to need her to get back to normal.  
Noticing that he uncle Hank hadn’t been in the dining room yet gave Diana hope that he wasn’t affected by whatever had happened to the other adults.  
Those hopes were dashed however when she discovered him singing to his reflexion in the mirror.  
She then decided to look for Trubel, but changed her mind quickly when she saw the young woman and Drew Wu in a tangle of limbs and their lips pressed to each other on a couch in the hallway.  
She decided to put then in a deep sleep, so they wouldn’t end up doing anything that they had no control over or might not feel right about.  
Hearing shouts, Diana rushed to see the rest of the adults on the large balcony outside of the hotel.  
“To what do I compare thine eyes? Crystal is muddy.” Monroe proclaimed to Elizabeth, who was trying to pull Nick away from Rosalee.  
The grimm fell down to one knee and begged the fuchsbau to marry him. “I would live my life to please you.” he vowed.  
Much to his dismay, the fuchsbau was trying to pledge her loyalty the the half royal.  
Trying to get his attention, Rosalee grabbed hold tightly to Sean’s shirt, but he was pleading with Adalind to look at him and see how much he loved her, following her as she was running around, trying to get Monroe’s attention.  
Suddenly his shirt was ripped from his body.  
“Such a tight body.” Rosalee sighed and reached out her hand to glide over the hard torso.  
“Hey! That’s not fair!” Nick called. He removed his own shirt to show his fuchsbau he also had a well toned frame.  
Diana noticed a man, whose name tag said Randy, had a smug grin on his face. She moved closer to him and realized he was wesen.  
“What did you do to my family?” She demanded.  
Her mommy told her not to make anyone fly, but she said nothing about making a bad man walk to where she needed him to go.  
“Fix them!” She shouted.  
“I can’t” He confessed. “There’s no cure.”  
Diana’s eyes glowed violet as she looked over the man and tried to decide if he was telling the truth.  
She realized he was, but that he also wanted her family to kill each other. He was a very bad man and deserved to be punished.  
She focused on his body, finding the gland that produced the chemical that made the adults in her life act like fools.  
Randy screamed in agony and ran from Diana, trying to get away from the pain she was inflicting on him.  
Unfortunately for him, he was looking at Diana and not where he was going, and ended up toppling over the edge of the balcony and falling to his death.  
Suddenly, every adult went silent.   
“Why are we shirtless?” Nick and Sean looked at eachother and asked in unison.  
Elizabeth picked up the two shirts from the ground. “Nick’s shirt is fully intact, but Sean’s shirt in tatters.” She observed, handing each man his article of clothing.  
Sean gave a regretful look to his shirt, (It had been rathor expensive) then made his way back to his room to get another one.  
Since his shirt was perfectly fine, Nick went ahead and put his back on. Adalind had a regretful expression and said, “That’s a shame. I like you with your shirt off.”  
Nick grinned and pulled her into his arms. “You can have me shirtless and all to yourself tonight.”  
“I hope some other articles of clothing will be absent too.” Adalind wrapped her arms around his neck and flirted up at him.  
“As long as that idea applies to the both of us.” Nick returned.  
Elizabeth took Diana’s hand and guided her to the dining room, ordered her a chocolate milkshake and had her explain what happened.  
Diana told her grandmother everything, including finding Hank singing to himself and that Trubel and Wu were asleep in the hall.  
“Can you wake them up from here?” Elizabeth asked her granddaughter.  
The little girl nodded yes. Her eyes glowed violet for a moment then she smiled and said “Done” and went back to her milkshake.  
At dinner that evening, it was noticed by all how Monroe kept his arm around Rosalee and Nick kept his around Adalind. Neither man had any interest in letting his lady love get too far away.  
Looking at them, Elizabeth was reminded of a line from one of her favorite plays.  
“The course of true love never did run smooth.”


	19. Chapter 19

Rosalee found a man who would be able to analyze the cloth and allow whatever symbols were on it to be read.  
After some tests, the symbols turned out to be part of a very ancient language. A language that none of them knew. So the next step was to decipher the language and determine what it meant.  
There was one word that looked familiar. Unfortunately, that word meant destroyer.  
“Well that’s not a good sign.” Monroe commented. “I’m seriously starting to think getting that stick was a really bad idea.”  
But it was too late to think about the repercussions now. All the group could do was deal with whatever came next.  
The best way to prepare themselves for the danger, was to find out what the rest of those symbols meant.  
While that was happening, there were still cases to deal with. Nick couldn’t stop being a detective just because he had a mystical stick and cloth to decypher, or a powerful child living with him half of the time.  
Though he realized he had to be careful to make sure Diana was not in hearing distance whenever he talked about his cases.  
He had been dealing with a strange case of a human man who obtained a mask made from a murdered wesen in woge. The mask had given the young man great strength and speed, but it had also made him more violent. It took over his life and turned him into a killer. He attacked the maker of the mask, killing him, because he couldn’t get the mask of and the mask maker claimed he couldn’t help him, that he had even warned him not to leave it on to long, or the animal instinct of the mask would take over.  
Nick had asked Adalind if she had ever heard of things like that happening.  
“I’ve heard rumors. But always chalked it up to exaggeration. Like wesen urban myths.” She answered.  
“Well, as it turns out, there are a few urban myths that are true. And this is the second time I’ve encountered someone who was able to keep the skins of wesen woged after their death.” Nick said, shaking his head at the circumstances.  
“What was the first?” Adalind asked.  
“Some wesen hunter, who was wesen as well as hunting them, went after a couple who were the rarest wesen, thought to be extinct. He wanted to get rich off of their skins. Rosalee, Monroe and I were able to find them in time, thankfully. We assisted when the woman gave birth and then stopped the hunter.”  
Adalind gave him her brightest proudest smiles. “I’m so happy you were able to help that family.”  
She would have said more, but she was interrupted by her daughter.  
“Nick’s really good at helping people? Isn’t he mom?” Diana observed.  
“He is sweety.” Adalind replied. Then asked with concern. “How long have you been listening?”  
“I heard Nick talk about the wesen mask.” Diana then looked at Nick and asked. “Did you arrest the man who wore the mask?”  
“No, honey. It wasn’t his fault he did what he did. He didn’t know, or understand what would happen. He couldn’t control himself. But he would always feel guilty. Even if it wasn’t his fault.” Nick said.  
“That’s why you have to be very careful with magic.” Adalind explained to her daughter. “It’s never a good idea to mess with something you can’t completely control. And things can get very out of hand, and very dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.”  
Though they were able to turn the situation into a lesson on not to use her powers for selfish reasons, Nick and Adalind still felt the need to buy Diana a tablet and a pair of headphones. In order to lessen the chances of the little girl over hearing something that might not be appropriate for her to hear.  
As powerful and as special as Diana was, everyone who knew and loved her wanted her to have as much of a normal childhood as possible. And they didn’t want her to think that her powers were the only thing that defined who she was. Each member of their unique little family tried to show her that there were multiple traits that made up all of a person.  
Monroe showed Diana that he was a blutbad, with great strength, and a keen sense of smell, but what he was passionate about were clocks, knowing as much as he could about history and maps.  
Nick had also pointed out that Monroe was obsessed with Halloween and Christmas, and even had his friend show Diana his many many boxes of decorations.  
The group had chuckled at how wide her eyes had gotten and how her mouth had dropped open in shock.  
“Maybe you could help Uncle Monroe decorate this Halloween and Christmas?” Rosalee offered.  
“OK.” Diana expressed excitedly, looking forward to helping and seeing all the wonderful things.  
Rosalee had her own influence in showing the little girl what all a person could do. The fuchsbau showed she was an intelligent and successful business owner. She helped people everyday and she was well loved and respected by her friends and family.  
But Diana really understood how a person wasn’t only all what their abilities made them to be through Nick and Adalind.  
Diana saw her mother had powers, but also saw how Nick was always more impressed with her intelligence. Like whenever she talked about some obscure fact of an ancient culture, he would look at Adalind as if she were the most amazing person in the world.  
Diana had overheard Nick say how he needed Adalind’s love and tenderness. That coming home to her after seeing the worst of the world always gave him peace and comfort.  
Diana also witnessed how her mother loved much more than Nick’s strength, speed and fighting abilities. In fact, they didn’t really seem important at all. Adalind was overheard to say that she loved how strong Nick’s arms were, because of how comforting they were to have around her.  
Of course, lessons on life and self worth were not the only things that Diana needed to be taught.  
Realizing that Diana’s education would have to be from the people who already knew her, due to her powers and the possibility of her using them in public, it was decided that the adults in her life would be handling everything until they felt she was ready to attend school with other children.  
Adalind handled mathematics, since numbers and money were her expertise, due to being an estate and financial lawyer.  
She and Rosalee taught science, using the side room and kitchen of the spice show to show how chemicals work.  
Monroe got the job of history, since he never hesitated in telling anyone the story behind anything.  
It was a great opportunity for Adalind to run a few errands for an hour while Diana absorbed the stories Monroe had to tell.  
And unfortunately, those who cared nothing about Diana and her need to have a normal childhood and only cared about her powers and what she could do for them, saw it as an opportunity to gain some leverage into obtaining what they wanted.  
Namely, Diana and the powerful artifact in the grimm’s possession.


	20. Chapter 20

When the Royals discovered that the grimm Nick Burkhardt had been in Germany and that he had been seen at the ruins of an old church, in the company of a blutbad, a fuchsbau and two hexenbiest, who looked to be mother and daughter, they knew he had possession of the long searched for treasure and the powerful child.  
Victor, who was reigning as king ever since Meisner threw Fredrick out of the helicopter, decided to plan a much quieter attack than had previously been implemented.  
Instead of having anyone arrive near Portland, or even in the state of Oregon, he had his men fly in through airports in Canada, then have have them drive to Portland.  
First though, he had a lawyer of his hire a private investigator to follow Sean Renard and Nick Burkhardt, and the investigator was to simply discover any weaknesses and or patterns the men had.  
From the reports, it was realized that Adalind Schade, the mother of the powerful girl, was living with Nick Burkhardt and that she had another baby. It was easy to presume that the second child was between Nick Burkhardt and Adalind Schade.  
“The child of a grimm and a hexenbiest might prove to be very special.” Victor theried. “I wonder if the mother of his child has become precious to Nicholas Burkhardt?”  
Victor decided to use the woman and her children as possible leverage against the grimm and gave his men orders to watch and wait for an opportunity to take Adalind and her two children.  
He knew that after the way the royals had treated her, Adalind would never be willing to trust any of them again. But if they had control of the children, then Victor believed she could be forced into revealing where the grimm hid the artifact.  
He gave his men orders to grab the woman when she was out running errands. But his men acted too quickly and did not wait to make sure she had her daughter with her.  
Six men waited in an unmarked white van. Once the spotted the blonde putting her purchases in her car, they pulled up alongside her vehicle were five men jumped out, injected her with a heavy sedative, grabbed the baby and hurriedly jumped back in the van, where the sixth hit the gas and sped away. The whole thing occurring in a matter of seconds and allowing no time for Adalind to use her powers or for any witnesses to interfere.  
They took mother and son to a place purchased and in the name of the lawyer Victor hired. As ordered, they kept Adalind sedated by setting up an intravenous drip, adding the needed drugs every couple of hours.  
Victor became furious when he arrived in Portland and discovered the powerful child was not in there. But he felt the plan could still be carried out. He would just have to include Diana when he made his demands in exchange for giving Nick back his son.  
Not that Victor actually had any intention of returning anyone or allowing the grimm to live. It was all really one clever trap to lure the grimm to where the royal wanted him.  
Or so Victor thought.  
The moment Adalind and his son were taken, Nick felt a painful lurch in his chest.  
He knew that something was wrong. Every fiber of his being was telling him that there was a threat to his world.  
Nick’s first instinct was to call Adalind and his worry grew when she didn’t answer. He left her a voicemail to call him back and sent her a text to let him know where she was, but something deep inside told him she wouldn’t reply.  
He then called Rosalee, hoping she would know where Adalind was.  
“Diana has her history lesson with Monroe right now.” The fuchsbau said. “Adalind said she wanted to run a couple errands. She should be back any minute.”  
“I called her phone. She didn’t answer.” Nick informed her. “I think something’s wrong.”  
Rosalee knew to never doubt her friend’s instincts. She also knew how in love Adalind was with Nick, and that she would never miss an opportunity to talk to him.  
While Nick was on the phone with Rosalee, Wu came up to him with a dark and somber look.  
“A call came in reporting seeing a woman and her baby grabbed and thrown into an unmarked van. Uniforms checked out the vehicle the witness claimed the woman was loading her stuff into and discovered who it belonged to.”  
The sergeant didn’t need to say it. Nick knew the woman and child taken was Adalind and Kelly.  
He barged into Renard’s office, and without waiting for a reaction, let the captain know what had happened.”  
“Somebody took my family. Whatever connections you got in the city, I need you to call them. I got you your daughter back, now I need your help getting back Adalind and my son.”  
Without a word, Renard reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a cell phone.  
“If you find out anything, call my cell. I’m going to look into other sources for information.” Nick said as he walked out of the office.  
Still having Rosalee on the phone, he let her know he was on his way to the spice shop and was going to call Trubel and the agent in charge of the secret government wesen task force to see if they could help. Hank and Wu overheard everything and followed close behind. Loading their own vehicles with weapons and then heading to the spice shop.  
The moment Trubel heard what happened, she assured Nick that she was on her way.  
The government agent promised to look into her sources and see if they knew anything, then notify Nick the moment she had anything.  
Moments after hanging up with agent Chavez, his phone signals a call from Sean Renard.  
“My cousin Victor has sent men to take Diana. He might try to offer an exchange.”  
“We both know I won’t agree to his terms.”  
Sean did. And not only because of the trust me knot spell. Nick would never separate Diana from the people she knew and loved. He could never put a child through that kind of trauma.  
“What are your plans for my cousin?” Sean asked, believing he already knew the answer.  
Nick replied, “I hope whoever’s next in line is wiser than the ones before.”  
“I’ll make sure your covered. Victor should have known better than to come to Portland again.”  
Nick fully agreed with that statement and hung up. He was seriously considering what it would take to remove the royals from existence. They had been causing nothing but trouble for him and his friends for too long.  
When Nick got to the spice shop, his first concern was how he was going to explain to Diana where her mother was.  
But as it turned out, the child, like him, had sensed that something was wrong.  
“Mom and Kelly were taken by bad people.” Diana said the moment Nick walked into the spice shop.  
Nick knew not to try to deny it.  
“I’ll get them back.” he said instead. A stealy tone of determination in his voice.  
His phone signals again, this time it’s the head of the wesen task force. “Our sources tell us that certain members of the royal family wish to take control of your children.” The female agent, Chavez, told Nick. “ They also seem to think you have an artifact that may be of great importance to them. I won’t ask you if that’s true or what that object might be. By your reputation I trust you will handle things the way you see fit. But I’m sorry we didn’t have this info sooner or we might have been able to warn you and prevent the kidnappings altogether.”  
Chavez realized that if she attempted to threaten the grimm into telling her about whatever the royals wanted, she could make an enemy out of him, and that was the worst thing that could happen. Especially now that his family were in danger.  
Her decision was wise, because Nick’s rage was growing. And in his mind, the royal families had signed their death warrants.  
“We’re trying to find out where the royals could be holding your girlfriend and your son, but they seemed to have covered their tracks well.” Chavez explained.  
“I can find them, NIck” Diana insisted. “I can talk to mommy and see where she and Kelly are.”  
Nick knew how powerful the little girl was, and knew not to underestimate her abilities. His entire being was also consumed with getting his family back, and he was willing to trust Diana to help him make that happen.  
He told the agent he and his friends would handle everything themselves.  
Chavez had a feeling just how the grimm and his people would handle everything and decided the least she knew, the better. She wished Burkardt well with his plan and said goodbye, thinking the Royals wouldn’t be a problem for the wesen community much longer.  
“I guess they proved that just because you can afford the highest education, doesn’t been you have the wisdom to make intelligent decisions.” She thought to herself.  
When Trubel arrived at the spice shop, she witnessed Diana in the side room. Her eyes glowing a vivid violet.  
Diana was easily able to reach her mother. She saw her in a room with grey brick walls, and tied to a chair. She noticed red marks where the ropes had chafed the skin and grew angrier at seeing her mother injured.  
“There’s a man with her.” Diana said out loud. “I know him. I saw him in a long car.”  
Nick realized she must have been talking about Victor and the time he had Diana for a short time when she was a baby. Before him and his friends pretended to be on the resistance and stole her away.  
“He keeps asking her what you guys found in that old church in Germany and what you did with it.” Nick could see how upset the little girl was as she continued. “He gave her something that is making her act strange. She is half asleep and talking funny.”  
“Victor must have drugged Adalind to keep her from using her powers.” Rosalee observed.  
“It also might make her reveal where you hid that stick.” Monroe pointed out.  
“That’s not a problem.” Nick sead. “I keep it with me at all times.”  
Monroe’s eyes widen in shock. “Dude, do you think that’s wise? We don’t know that that thing is capable of.”  
Nick gave Monroe a pointed look and said. “Considering the Royals are willing to kidnap my family to get it. I think my decision makes perfect sense.”  
Monroe couldn’t really argue with his friend on that part and decided they had more pressing matters to attend to anyway.  
“Can you see where they are?” Trubel asked.  
“In a house in the middle of the forest.” Diana’s eyes return to their normal blue and the little girl said. “I can show you where they are.”  
“It’s too dangerous.” Nick spoke gently. He didn’t want to risk the child getting hurt. “Victor wants you. That’s why he took your mother and your brother. He’s planning on forcing me to trade you for Kelly.”  
“But you wouldn’t do that. You love me like you love Kelly.” Diana spoke with complete confidence.  
It made Nick feel a great deal of pride hearing her say that. It let him know he was doing his job as a father and as a man.  
“Still, sweetheart, I don’t want you anywhere near them.”  
“Ok Nick.” Diana nodded, understanding he just wanted to keep her safe. “I can show you by sharing with you what I see and feel. Even while I stay right here and go to mommy.”  
Nick beamed at her, “That’s a good plan.” He then looked at Monroe and Rosalee. “Would you guys stay here and take care of her?”  
“Of course, Nick.” Rosalee answered.  
“You sure you don’t want my help?” Monroe asked.  
“I’d feel better if you stayed with Diana, just in case Victor sends somebody after her.” Nick assured his blutbad best friend.  
The rest of the group loaded into their vehicles and headed in the direction Diana guided Nick.  
They soon reached a house deep in the forest, where Diana said she could sense a dozen men walking around. “And they’re all carrying big guns.” She projected to Nick.  
“Allright Diana, I am very proud of you.” NIck said. “Now I need you to do me a favor and not look at what is going on anymore. Ok.” He was concerned about the little girl witnessing the violence that was about to happen.  
Diana agreed not to look and Nick promised to get her mother back to her.  
Then Nick, Hank, Trubel and Wu got out of their cars and crept carefully to the house.  
Trubel announced she had a plan for a distraction, she then moved swiftly to an area on the opposite direction they were approaching and set of small amount of explosives.  
Four men went running to see what was going on, leaving the fifth standing guard at the door.  
Nick shot him with his crossbow.  
They slowly opened the door, Nick used his special hearing to discover where the others were.  
He then motioned to the direction where he heard the other guards.  
“Diana said she saw her mother in a stone room, which might be the basement. I need to find the door that leads down there.”  
The others nodded and spit up to find the entrance. Hank and Wu each taking out a guard in their search. Trubel taking out two.  
Nick found the door and moved quickly down the steps, encountering three hundjager. Two grabbed his arms and the third approached his front, claws coming out to slash at him. Nick kicked that one hard in the chest, sending him backward and pulled the other two forward, making them knock their heads into each other. The third got back up and went after Nick again, only for Nick to grab him by the neck and sam him hard into the ground, knocking him out as well.  
Nick stood straight up and was met with three gunshots to his chest, the firearm held in Victors hand.  
The royal smirked triumphantly and turned back to the drugged hexenbiest, who had witnessed the man she loved fall to the ground and had tears flowing from her eyes.  
“Now, are you going to tell me where he hid the artifact?” He asked the weeping witch.  
The his smug demeanor turned to confusion as he saw her eyes widen in shock then happiness.  
He turned and was shocked to see Nick Burkhardt advancing toward him in a rage. The last thing the royal saw and felt was the grimm hands reaching for his neck.  
Nick snachted the royal and slammed him to the ground, stomping on his skull, crushing it.  
He then turned with a tender gaze to Adalind, approaching her slowly and gently removing the intravenous drip, as well as the ropes that were binding her.  
The others run down the stairs at that moment, having heard the gunshots and fearing the worst.  
Trubel, happy to see Nick alive and seeing the unconscious, tied the wesen up with rope and called the wesen task force.  
“I’m sure Chavez and her people will love to talk to these guys.” Trubel said. She then looked at Nick and said, “I found Kelly sleeping soundly in the bedroom here. I thought it best to let you pick him up.”  
Nick looked up at her and said, “Thank you. Adalind is still weak from the drugs, and the four who ran off after your distraction should be coming here soon.”  
“No they won’t,” The she grimm as a mischievous grin on her face. I set another explosion to go off once they were in the area.”  
“Very clever.” Wu commented.  
Nick thought so too. He was grateful that she could focus on getting Adalind and their son out of that place.  
He carried her up the stairs and to the bedroom Trubel indicated Kelly was. He laid her gently on the bed and then went over to check on his son.  
A wave of relief washed over him seeing his family safe and sound.  
He called Diana and told her everyone was safe and that they would be home very soon.  
He then called Renard to tell him his cousin would never be bothering Portland again.  
Renard felt no grief at the information.  
Nick turned back to Adalind, who was looking much more alert. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips deeply.  
Then smiling brightly, he placed Kelly in her arms and scooped them both up in his arms, carrying them to his car and nestling them safely in the back seat.  
On the way to the spice shop, he kept staring at the both of them the whole time.  
He had almost lost them, and he had a glimpse of what it would be like to be without them. He had felt like a man possessed. He had wanted to tear anyone who laid a hand on his family limb from limb.  
Back at the spice shop, as Rosalee was looking Adalind and Kelly over and Diana was placing hundreds of hugs and kisses on her mom and baby brother, Nick thought to himself how he could never and would never want to live without theses people.  
Adalind, Diana and Kelly were his family. And he loved them with all of his heart.


	21. Chapter 21

“When I saw Victor shoot you, I thought I had lost you forever.” Adalind said, stroking her fingers along Nicks face.  
Nick tilted his head to kiss the slender digits. “I guess we now know this stick can do more than just heal a wound.”  
“So does that mean your technically a zombie?” Wu asked.  
“He’s already been a zombie and he was nothing like this.” Monroe commented.  
At Wu and Adalind’s questioning looks, the others explained.  
“Renard’s brother Eric hired a cracher de mortel to make the people in Portland go into crazy rages.” Nick started.  
“As it turned out, it was just a distraction for Eric to get to Nick, thinking he could control him through the blowfish wesen.” Hank continued.  
“But it didn’t affect Nick the same way it affected everyone else.” Rosalee added.  
“Yeah, no one can control Nick.” Monroe said with a huge grin on his face.  
“So that rage people incident was wesen related.” Wu observed in astonishment. It was amazing all the things that had seemed so strange, no became so much clearer because he knew about wesen.  
“I don’t remember much about what happened while I was in that state.” Nick admitted. “But I found out I attacked anyone who got near me. I even ended up killing someone.”  
“That wasn’t your fault Nick.” Rosalee soothed. “Those who were in that state could not be blamed for what they did. Essentially they were given a drug against their will. All of the blame should be placed on Eric Renard and the cracher de mortel he hired.”  
“She’s right, Nick.” Adalind confirmed softly. “Your a good man. You always have been.”  
Nick smiled back at her, maybe not completely believing her words, but being comforted by her saying them anyway.  
Then every word that Nick said registered with Monroe.  
“You said you don’t remember much about what happened. That means you remember some things. What is it that you remember?”  
Nick sighed with resignation and said, “I remember being in that bar. Surrounded by a lot of people. One guy came at me with a knife.”  
“The guy you killed had a rap sheet a mile long.” Hank said. “He had served time for assault with a deadly weapon. Among other things. Chances are, if he hadn’t attacked you that night, he might have eventually attacked someone else.”  
“See Nick,” Adalind said adamantly, “Even in your most primal state, the only person killed was someone who had a violent nature. By killing him, you may have saved an innocent person’s life”  
She hugged him tight and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her just as tight. Adalind had a way of making him feel the the greatest man in the world. Like he could do no wrong in her eyes.  
Each had a need to hold onto one another and never let go.  
It was Renard’s night to have Diana. He especially needed it after that threat by his cousin. As much as Adalind hated having her daughter away from her, that night, she knew that she and Nick would be showing each other just how grateful they were for one another.  
Nick took on the full duty of getting Kelly ready for bed, grateful to have his son safely in his arms.  
As he washed his son and then changed him into his pajamas, Nick gazed affectionately at his sweet baby boy.  
He couldn’t help but think how lucky he was to have his family.  
Not only had he almost lost them, but they had also almost lost him.  
Nick knew without a shadow of a doubt that he loved every single member of his very unique family.  
And he felt at the bottom of his heart that Adalind was the true love of his life.  
Nearly losing her had filled him with a madness he hadn’t known he was capable of.  
Nick watched his son drift to sleep, then turned his attention completely to his son’s mother.  
Adalind smiled seductively and reached out to Nick as he approached.  
Their lips met as they entered eachothers arms.  
Nick devoured Adalind's mouth with his own. Then feasted just as hungrily down her neck.  
“Please, Nick” Adalind whimpered, “I need to feel you inside me. I thought I’d lost you. Please make me feel you. Let me know just how alive you are.”  
Nick was more than happy to give her what she wanted. He needed her just as fiercely.  
Clothes vanished near instantly, each one was in a desperate need to feel the others naked flesh pressed against their own.  
Somehow, they found themselves in their bed, bodies sliding together in that carnal dance.  
The two were mindless with need as they each simply took what they wanted from the other.  
Adalind pushed Nick onto his back and slithered down, her tongue gliding over his neck, his chest, biting into the firm muscle as she made her way lower. Her knails scraped over his abs and she soothed the red marks with the warmth of her tongue while her hands continued to his thighs.  
She found them to be hard as stone as she drew closer to where he was erect and pulsing. She grinned wickedly up at his as she teased him, licking and nipping around the area but still not touching him.  
He let her have her fun, enjoying the return of the devious sexy witch he had first seen in her.  
Nick simply clutched at the pillow to keep from ruining the fun.  
Finally, she gulped him down in one swallow, sucking him with great intensity. There was no more desire for teasing. She wanted to have the taste and feel of him. Needed it to comfort herself after nearly losing him.  
She pressed her tongue against the shaft and hollowed her cheeks, increasing the pressure, put refused to allow even and inch of him to slide from her mouth. She wanted all of him and she demanded nothing less.  
Ever considerate, Nick tried to warn Adalind, but she was determined to have every bit of him she could, and so she did not move away or even decreased her attentions, she continued until he had erupted every drop.  
She grinned smugly as she wiped the corner of her mouth with her finger but she soon let out a squeak of surprise as Nick growled and quickly changed their positions.  
He buried his head between her legs and devoured her. Moving teeth and tongue over ever petal. Digging the tip of his tongue into that area just under her throbbing clit.  
Adalind arched her back and moaned shrilly as Nick sent lightning bolts of pleasure through her.  
One of her legs wrapped around his neck while the other pushed against the bed, as if her own body wasn’t sure whether it wanted him closer or needed him to stop because it was too good.  
But Nick was in no mood to relent, even after feeling the walls of her channel contract against his tongue.  
He savored her nectar and the feel of her silky petals against his tongue.  
He enjoyed all of the little sounds she made and had to muffle in order to not wake Kelly.  
And Nick really loved how Adalind seemed to have lost all control of herself.  
Her body writhed and trembled. She would push herself up and then her arms would give out and she would fall back onto the bed. She squeezed her breasts, twisting her torso, then moved her hands along her body, reached Nick’s head, ran her fingers through his air and gripped tight.  
She pressed her lips firmly together to hold in the scream as a mind shattering orgasm took hold of her.  
It was Nick’s tuen to be smug as he smiled and made his way up her body.   
Her belly and chest heaved under his kisses as she labored for breath.  
Adalind spread her arms and legs out from herself, opening up for Nick’s attention.  
Propping himself up with one hand, he used the other to slide over her.   
First under one thigh, moving to glide over the butt cheek, then he spread his fingers over her tiny waist and finished the journey by cupping the breast and descending his mouth on the puckered nipple.  
Adalind held onto Nick’s shoulders as he lavished attention onto her breast. He shifted his body so he could give the same performance and attention to her other side.  
By this time, Nick had become hard again, and he was ready to join his and Adalind’s bodies in the way they were always meant to be.  
He nuzzled her neck once more then slid his mouth over hers, thrusting his hips forward and entering her in one easy stroke.  
They moaned into one another’s mouths as their hips met, Adalind rising up to Nick as he pushed down.  
He wanted to see her face as he took her. He needed to see her lost in the ecstasy he was giving her.  
He was consumed with the desire to gaze at his woman as he felt her around his member.  
It was the only thing that would permit him to take his mouth from hers.  
When Nick lifted his face from hers, Adalind saw the look of wonder and amazement in his eyes as he gazed at her. She understood what he wanted and stretched herself like a cat, arching her back with her arms splayed out on the sheets. Opening herself up to his full view, giving him his show. She was rewarded when he increased his force and his speed, making her practically pur as Nick thrust his hips again and again into her, grabbing onto the headboard for more leverage as he increased his force.  
Then he grabbed her hands and held them over her head, crashed his mouth on hers and pushed his pubic bone over her clit.  
Their hands gripped tightly together as her walls milked his shaft.  
In that moment, all they knew was bliss. The rest of the world ceased to exist.  
For awhile, they stayed just like that, needing time to come back to themselves.  
When he was sane again, Nick collapsed to the bed and gathered Adalind against him.  
Their bodies were sated but their hearts still needed to be close.  
Both were so exhausted from the physical and emotional events of that day, that sleep took them quickly.  
It was a shame that neither one completely registered when the words "I love you" were whispered from both of their lips.


	22. Chapter 22

All of Nick’s friends were concerned if and how the stick was affecting him.  
Hank and Wu mostly kept silent about their concerns.  
Monroe did not.  
“We really need to figure out what this stick is all about.” Monroe said to his wife. “I mean, I’m glad that Nick is alright, but I can’t help but be a little worried that stick could change him in some way.”  
“Adalind and I are trying.” Rosalee assured her husband. “We just figured out what the markings on the cloth are, but now we have to figure out what they mean.”  
Deciphering the markings on the cloth took a great deal of time and patience. Adalind and Rosalee searched through a great many books trying to find the meaning behind the various symbols. But finally, they were able to discover the language and what it was saying.  
Unfortunately, it turned out to be some kind of prophecy. Foretelling of a being of great destruction.  
“That can’t be good!” Monroe said.  
“Please tell me the cloth doesn’t say Nick is going to turn into this destroyer.” Hank said.  
Thankfully, the cloth said nothing about a grimm turning into an entity of evil.  
Unfortunately, the cloth did reveal that the entity was prophesied to arrive very shortly.  
Meanwhile, Nick continued to explore the tunnels, with Diana often by his side, wanting to help out and join in on the adventure with her future stepfather.  
Most of the tunnels lead to dead ends, or to grates that couldn’t be moved. But one evening, Nick discovered a door that lead to the outside.  
“We have a backdoor mom!” Diana announced to Adalind excitedly when she and Nick reentered the loft.  
“It’s nearly a mile away, but we found one exit from the tunnels.” Nick confirmed.  
The exit came in handy when it was discovered the remaining royals had not given up on capturing the powerful child or the long sought after treasure.  
Nick was on the roof of the loft, setting up some some items for Diana to practice her skills on and target practice for he and Trubel.  
As he was standing on the roof, Nick could hear someone literally sniffing around his home.  
He carefully looked over the side and saw what he knew right away to be a wesen.  
This one looked very much like a bloodhound. Being a detective, Nick recognized recon when he saw it. His instincts told him that there was a threat to his family. Logic made him guess the royals were behind it.  
Nick made his way back inside. Then made sure the kids were playing in his and Adalind’s room before telling her what he saw.  
Of course, she was concerned and said so.  
“Those wesen are often hired to find whoever or whatever they are paid too.” Adalind explained. “If there’s one here, he must have been hired by someone.”  
“Probably the royals.” Nick agreed.  
He called Bud Worstner, hoping the eisbiber had heard of strange activity in the wesen community.  
“Oh, we have Nick. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff we’ve heard. There’s a rumor that a large group of ogre wesen have checked into a posh hotel. As rare as they are and as foul tempered. It’s really shocking to have so many in one place. Let alone a very expensive place.”  
Nick let Adalind know the news and they both agreed that the royals had to have gotten the ogre wesen the hotel rooms.  
He called up his friends, letting them know everything.  
Nick then called the head of the government task force and asked her if she knew anything about threats to him and his family.  
She assured him that if her and her people found out anything, she would be sure to let him know right away.  
She promised to send agents to work undercover at the hotel and inform the group of any developments.  
But Nick was tired of being a target. Fed up with the people he loved being threatened. He decided to show the wesen community once and for all that the grimm Nick Burkhardt was not an enemy they wanted to have.  
He decided to set up a special kind of trap of his own.

The ogre wesen got the word that the grimm and the magical child were alone in the building where they lived.  
“I saw the the male grimm, Nick Burkhardt walk into the building with a little blonde hair girl.” The bloodhound wesen said. “I did not see the hexenbiest or any of his wesen friends around.”  
“The grimm’s hexenbiest whore is probably already in there with his bastard.” One of the ogre wesen said.  
“Remember, we kill the grimm and the hexenbiest, but we take the children. The royals will pay us double for a potential grimm. And under no circumstances are we to leave without the artifact the grimm took from The Black Forest. Even if we have to torture the grimm and his hexenbiest to do it.” The bloodhound reminded the ogres.  
Four ogre wesen ran as fast as they could into the garage door, breaking it down like it was made out of cardboard.  
They got into the elevator and made their way up. The door seemed to be sealed with something but the ogre wesen were able to open it anyway.  
However, they realized that the loft was empty. Not a single personal item was seen.  
“They’re not here!” One ogre shouted. He grabbed the bloodhound wesen by the throat and growled. “You said they were here!”  
The bloodhound wesen defended, “I saw them with my own eyes. The grimm and a little girl. I saw them enter this building. Please, let me try to smell where they are.  
He took a deep breath and his eyes grew wide. “I smell explosives!”  
Nick ran out of the opening from the tunnel just as a tremor shook the area and he could hear the explosion coming from his former home.

Not wanting his family anywhere near the danger, Nick talked with Adalind about sending her and the kids somewhere no one would think to look for them.  
Though she hated being separated from the man she loved, Adalind knew she had to put the safety of her children first.  
It was decided that the safest place for Adalind and the kids to hide was the still abandoned house of the blutbad postman from Nick’s very first case as a grimm. The one a young college student was killed and a little girl was taken by the blutbad postman.  
And though it killed him to do so, because Nick was certain the royal’s bloodhound was only following his sent, the grimm got Renard to take Adalind and the kids to the location while he stayed behind and finished the trap.  
Though they had a plan in place, there was still some level of uncertainty, so before Renard drove off with Adalind and the kids, Nick gave each child a big hug, telling each one how much he loved them.  
Then Nick pulled Adalind to him and kissed her with every ounce of what he felt for her in his body. She returned the kiss in equal measure.  
They pulled away slowly. Nick looked into Adalind’s eyes and said with his heart wide open, baring his very soul, “I love you.”  
She smiled, her own heart and soul shining in her eyes, “I love you.”  
With one last kiss, Adalind got into the car, sitting in the back between her son and her daughter.  
“Renard.” Nick pointed to the vehicle and said. “My whole world is inside that car. You brought Adalind into my life. I need you to make sure she stays in it. And though none of us planned for Diana or Kelly, I love them with everything that is in me. If I lose them, I lose my sanity. Keep them all safe.”  
Sean Renard nodded his head in understanding. He knew that without his family, Nick Burkhardt would become the monstrous grimm wesen had feared.

Nick and his friends set up the explosives. Enough that would level the building and crush every single ogre wesen to death.  
The explosives and the cover story came courtesy of Chavez, who was more than happy to stop a kidnapping and a royal scheme on American soil.  
The fire and police departments would be told that a white supremacy sect had been discovered and they were believed to be setting up bombs, which they must have accidentally set off.  
The last key element to the trap, came from Diana. Though she would not be there physically, the little girl would be projecting herself to appear as if she were walking with Nick.  
Diana was given strict orders by all three of her parents to return to her body the very moment Nick was back in the loft and to not wait for him to enter the tunnels.  
The moment he saw the wesen break down the garage door, Nick set the timer for the bombs and ran as fast as he could to the door at the end of the tunnel.

Adalind waited by the window, watching for any sign of Nick’s car.  
The moment she saw him pull in, she ran out of the house.  
Nick ran toward her the moment that he spotted her.  
In perfect synchronicity, they met in a kiss full of fire and passion. Nick cupped the back of Adalind’s head to hold her lips to his, the other arm wrapped tightly around her back. She arched into him and raised herself on her toes to meet his hungry mouth with her own.  
He lowered himself slightly to be able to get as much of her as he could.  
“Are we going to live in this house now?” Diana, who had walked outside to see Nick, asked.  
“No sweetheart.” Adalind replied, still keeping a hold of Nick. “Your dad has offered for us all to stay with him until we find another place of our own.”

Unfortunately, before things could get back to normal and Nick could start looking for a new home for his family, an ancient being came from another dimension and started attacking Nick’s closest friends.  
The Zerstorer was the most powerful foe Nick and his gang had ever encountered.  
In the end, it all came down to the blood of his ancestors. An epic battle between grimms and the ultimate evil. Though Trubel didn’t see them, Nick saw his aunt Marie and his mother Kelly join him in the fight.  
He knew he would never forget how he almost let the world sink into darkness and nearly surrendered the powerful stick to the destroyer, which would have made his staff complete and given him the power to conquer the whole world. And all because the Zerstorer had managed to take everyone Nick had loved but had promised to return them if only Nick gave him what he wanted.  
Nick was willing to sacrifice the world to get Adalind back. To have his family returned to him.  
But in the end, the Zerstorer was defeated and the staff completed and held by Nick, who was able to return to the moment before the destroyer had entered their realm and have every single member of his very unique family back.

The stick and marking on the cloth were no longer a mystery to deal with. The prophesied destroyer was gone for good. And Nick Burkhardt had the people he loved in his life.  
Life was good and it was time it got back to normal. Or, as normal as it could be for the group.  
With their loft gone, Nick’s family needed a new home.  
And he made a decision that his family needed a real home. Some place with a yard and actual bedrooms for everyone.  
The loft had been great when he needed to keep his family safe. But now his family needed a place that felt more welcoming.  
But with how unique his family was, Nick knew he had to make sure he found a place that would fit all of their needs. So he decided to draw up plans for a house, himself. And made sure to consider everything his family would need.  
The only thing that he needed was help in making his plans a reality.  
This is where the eisbiber came in.  
Nick asked Bud Worstner of he knew of a good contractor. He showed the man the plans he had drawn up and designed himself with the needs of his family in mind.  
Something else Nick realized needed to be taken care of was the matter of making it clear to everyone just what Adalind’s place was in his life. And what his place was in hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I glossed over a lot of details with the Zerstorer, but I felt I couldn’t do it any better than the show, so I decided to focus my efforts on the other part of my story. My deepest apologies for it taking so long, my mind kept wandering to other stories.  
> One more chapter, which will of course be an engagement, a wedding and a beautiful new home for the Burkhardt family. And I promise the chapter will be written in a few days, not months.


	23. Chapter 23

Do to staying with Renard, when Nick bought an engagement ring, he knew to hide it in his desk at work. There were just too many chances of it being found and the surprise ruined otherwise. And Nick wanted everything to be perfect when he asked the question.  
Luckily, the eisbiber were very efficient workers, and they had the house that Nick had designed himself ready in a matter of weeks.  
He had shown Adalind the style of the home and had gotten her approval on things he knew would be important. Nick didn’t want to make assumptions or take control over everything.  
Though as it turned out, he knew Adalind’s tastes well and everything he showed her had made her very happy.  
And there were still some things he kept from her that he wanted to surprise her with. Things he knew she would love.  
When the house was finished, Nick asked the eisbiber to help him with a few decorative touches.  
Then, he asked Adalind to go with him to see the house. The kids and everyone else would see it the following day, but Nick really needed it to be just he and Adalind for the first evening.  
The land the house was built on was something Nick and Adalind chose together. The couple wanted to be sure they were on the same page about which area they felt best suited their needs.  
Adalind beamed with excitement when the house came into site. Sure she had been shown sketches about what Nick and the eisbiber had in mind, since Nick wanted to be sure she was happy with the design, but it still did not prepare her for the beauty their new home was.  
It may have seemed even more wonderful to her because of Nick being the one to design it and with the full intention of them all living their, as a family.  
Adalind fought back the tears of joy forming in her eyes. The only thing that would make everything perfect, would be if Nick asked her to marry him.  
But Adalind was certain that wouldn’t happen. After all, he had waited several years before proposing to Juliet. And that was after the two had lived together for a couple of years.  
Since Adalind and Nick had only lived together one, and had been a couple for less of that time, Adalind was sure she would have at least another year before Nick really thought about getting married.  
Adalind was content to wait that long. In truth, she would wait forever, if it meant that forever was spent with Nick.  
However, Nick had no intention of waiting a year before he got to call Adalind his wife.  
They got out of the car and Adalind’s breath caught when she saw pink and yellow flowers had been planted along the walkway leading up to the house and various hanging potted flowers adorning the porch.  
Nick unlocked the door, but before he walked inside, he turned to Adalind and said, “There’s something I want to do.” Nick then scooped Adalind in his arms, bridal style, and carried her over the threshold.  
Adalind giggled at his antics and draped her arms around his neck.  
She fully expected him to set her down once they were inside, and was surprised when he instead insisted on carrying her to some of the places he had designed for her in mind.  
Like the large glass room connected to their home.  
“You’ll be able to grow anything you want. And there’s an adjoining room right next to it with cupboards and tables already built and inside where you can work and teach the kids the ways of their hexenbiest side.” Motioning out of the windows, Nick added, “Plus there’s plenty of land for gardens. The eisbiber and I didn’t want to assume to know what you would want, but as soon as you let us know, I promise you will have anything you desire.”  
Adalind smiled brightly at him, then laid her head in his shoulder and said, “What if all that I desire is you?”  
“You already have me.” Nick turned and carried her up the flight of stairs. “There’s something in the master suit I think you’ll enjoy.”  
Adalind hoped he was talking about the bed and he was going to make love to her, since finally they had plenty of privacy. Not that they hadn’t snuck in a couple of rounds the past few weeks; it was just that neither one could be as thorough as they wanted to be, and they had to be completely quiet.  
Although they were sure Renard knew what they had been up to the previous night by the glare he shot them.  
Instead of stopping at the bedroom, Nick continued to the adjoining bathroom, and Adalind could not find it in herself to be disappointed when she saw what was there.  
“Oh, Nick! That tub is huge!” Adalind gasped and stared in awe at the bathtub that could easily bathe multiple people at once.  
“I knew you would like it. Would you like to have a bath now? The eisbiber were kind enough to leave behind everything you would need. You could have a soak while I get dinner ready for us and bring it up here.”  
That sounded like pure heaven to Adalind.  
Understandably, things had been cramped while staying with Sean. Yes he had plenty of rooms for them all to stay, but Adalind didn’t want to take the chance of the man she now despised catching even a glimpse of her bare form, so she had kept to quick showers and in the middle of the day when she knew Renard was working. And while staying at the apartment, Adalind never walked around in a towel or one of Nick’s shirts. Something both she and the grimm missed but dealt with because neither one wanted the half royal getting more than was strictly necessary look at Adalind’s form.  
While she prepared her bath, Adalind smiled at remembering how possessive Nick became when Sean made the mistake of stepping just a little too close into Adalind’s space or nearly touching her when they were all moving around the kitchen area.  
Nick would always pull Adalind to him, wrap his arms around her and bury his nose in her hair, whispering some flirty thing that would have her blushing and Sean looking annoyed.  
Adalind loved Nick’s possessive side. She loved his every side.   
Sighing contentedly as she slipped into the water, Adalind felt she finally had everything she had ever dreamed of.  
She had a man she loved who loved her and was wonderful to her. She had both of her children. And now she had a beautiful home. Really, the only thing missing was Nick’s last name at the end of hers. But she reminded herself that it wasn’t that important right now because at least Nick showed her every moment that he cared about and was committed to her and their family.  
While he prepared the food the eisbiber had left in the kitchen, Nick made a few calls to check on the kids and make sure the plans for the next day were running smoothly.  
He then carried the tray of food, the wine and two glasses to the en-suite.  
For a moment, he just stood in the doorway and gazed at the beautiful blonde laying in the tub.  
Adalind looked over, saw him staring, crooked a finger at him and said, “You better come here.”  
Of course, Nick was helpless but to comply with her demand. He placed the food and wine on the floor beside the tub, shed his own clothes and joined the love of his life in the massive tub.  
Adalind reached for him as he entered. Their lips met in a kiss that was a little awkward do to them both smiling so much.  
“This is amazing Nick, thank you.”  
“You don’t need to thank me. I did this for the both of us. This whole house is for our family and our life together.”  
He pulled her to him again and this time their kiss was deep and passionate.  
The entire night was filled with tender caresses and sighs of pleasure.  
The took turns washing one another very thoroughly. Then, when the water got too cool, they rinsed off in the shower, that Adalind discovered Nick had built big enough for two adults to share, and had installed multiple shower heads. In fact, it was obvious Nick had designed the shower with the full idea that two people would be using it very often, and for long and rigorous activities, if the built in seat was any indication.  
Though she was not about to complain, especially with his fingers doing some very lovely things between her legs.  
And she sure wasn’t going to complain when Nick carried her to their bed, laid her on her back, thrust inside of her and kissed her like his very breath came from the little gasps, sighs and moans she released when gripped by an intense orgasm.  
Nick was insatiable as he finally got to be with Adalind without any concerns of someone hearing them. He wanted to show her what a life with him could be really like. Without the stress of wondering where her daughter was, who was after them, or if they were safe with one another, they could finally focus on them as a couple.  
And Nick wanted to show Adalind that he could and would be the man she could be happy with for the rest of her life.  
In the morning, they both woke with pleasantly sore bodies and smiles on their faces.  
Both looked into the other’s eyes and just knew that was the view the wanted to wake up to for the rest of their lives.  
Though he hated to disrupt the tranquil moment between them, Nick knew it needed to be done and said, “Monroe and Rosalee will be here with the kids soon. So we should probably get dressed so we won’t traumatize anyone.”  
Adalind reluctantly agreed.  
Nick was of course ready first and said he would meet her downstairs with breakfast.  
Adalind was puzzled and disappointed. She thought after the passionate night they shared, Nick would at least give her a kiss, but he seemed really eager to get away from her.  
She finished getting ready for the day and made her way downstairs at a slower pace than Nick had.  
But when she got to the kitchen she saw Nick wasn’t there.   
She noticed the door to the backyard was open, and wondering why he decided to go outside, took a look and gasped in shock when she saw that the backyard had been decorated overnight and was now set up for what looked to be a wedding. With their close friends, and their children, wearing suits or dresses with bright smiles on their faces.  
Nick moved to her side, dropped to one knee, held up the ring and asked, “Will you marry me? Today?”  
“You planned a whole wedding for us?” Adalind asked in astonishment.  
“I didn’t want there to be too much time where you could stress yourself out and get cold feet.” Nick grinned.  
“Wait! Last night, there were several times where you had started saying something about our life together, but had changed the subject really quickly, I thought it was because you just weren’t ready to talk about a commitment.”  
“No, it was because I almost spoiled all of my plans and nearly asked you to be my wife. You have no idea how hard it was to keep this from you.”  
“You’re amazing! I love you so much! Yes! I will marry you! Today!”  
Nick slipped the ring on her finger, stood up and their lips met in a powerful and claiming kiss.  
“All right, you two. Save some of that for after your vows. Right now, you guys got to get ready for your wedding.” Monroe interrupted the couple.  
Rosalee, Diana, what what Adalind could only describe as an army of eisbiber woman pulled Adalind back into the house, back into her bedroom, sat her on her vanity chair and started fixing her hair and makeup.  
When they pulled a beautiful white lace dress from a garment bag, Adalind asked in shock, “How did you get a wedding dress for me?”  
“Nick picked it out.” Rosalee explained. “He said he knew what style you would love most. And he told the eisbiber woman what your size was.”  
“He said he knew your body better than anybody.” Diana chimed in.  
“He didn't know Diana was listening at the time.” Rosalee explained.  
“That man of yours was able to show us your exact proportions.” One eisbiber woman said. “He told us if the mannequin we were using was too wide or too thin.”  
“Just by moving his hands over it’s form.” Another piped in.  
Adalind blushed. Nick was never stingy with his touch. It didn’t surprise her he knew her body. But she was amazed he knew her style so well.  
“That is a good man you’ve got there.” The first eisbiber woman said.  
Adalind agreed completely.  
The dresses bodice molded to Adalind’s form perfectly, and the gown trailed behind her elegantly.  
Rosalee slipped on a lovely buttercup yellow dress. Nick knowing that Adalind would want the fuchsbau to be her matron of honor.  
Diana wore a dress similar to her mother’s but without a trailing skirt and with a crown of flowers on her head instead of a veil.  
It took all of Adalind’s self control not to run to Nick the moment she spotted him standing there in a deep blue suit. He just looked so handsome.  
And with the way Monroe placed his hand on Nick’s shoulder when the groom took a step toward the bride, she knew the feeling had to be mutual.  
Her smile got wider when she got to the altar and saw her sweet baby boy dressed just like his father as he sat in his stroller that was decorated in ribbons and flowers.  
The ceremony began and the rest of the world disappeared for Nick and Adalind. They recited their vows, meaning them with every fiber of their beings.  
The very second they were pronounced husband and wife, before Nick was told he could kiss the bride, the grooms lips were on the new Mrs. Burkhardt.  
There were chuckles and cheers from the people around them, but neither really heard. They were each far too busy enjoying the taste of their new spouse.  
Reluctantly, they pulled apart before the kiss turned awkward for their guests.  
Everyone congratulated the new couple.  
Feeling slightly dazed at the events of the past few hours, Adalind couldn’t help but say out loud, “I’m a hexenbiest married to a grimm.” She turned to Nick and asked. “You’re really alright with my hexenbiest side?”  
“I love your hexenbiest side. I love every single part of you. Those are the parts that make you the strong, intelligent, beautiful woman I want to spend my life with.”  
Adalind couldn’t speak, she was so happy. In the year of being with Nick Burkhardt, she was happier than she had ever been in her entire life. And she knew that the rest of her life would be filled with even more happiness.  
It was better than she could have ever dreamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full credit to @grimmnadalind5 for giving me the idea of a wedding right after a proposal.


End file.
